Khairani Barokka
2021. Video.
This piece features “a short film with clips from the artist’s home, with the artist performing Muslim ritual ablutions with dust instead of water, with a poetic voiceover.”
Video of Dust Prayer with open captions
Video of Dust Prayer with audio description
Video Transcript:
Because it can begin with water. But it can also begin with dust. Before that, it begins with intention. DUST PRAYER, by Khairani Barokka Deeply imperfect in faith—in feeling it, in practising it—i feel it most when alone, or immersed in the swell of crowds chanting a community into being, where i disappear completely. When I am reminded that access is built into faith, I more readily accept it. In the Qur’an, Al Maidah, Ayat Six. Wipe your face and arms with the earth. God does not want to give you a burden, but to cleanse you and perfect God’s pleasures for you, so you are grateful. If there is no water for ablutions, including if you are sick, and water might hurt you, or if water is inaccessible to you—or, in my interpretation, if water is unusable as it is toxic and may hurt you—you may use forms of dust, as long as they are clean. The belief that the dust we use for ablutions is clean itself requires faith. This is how we can make god. Or summon holiness from within. God is tactile. Pervasive. Iridescent. Catches the light. Being a human who is ill is a part of life, a part of faith. Built in. Everywhere, like dust particles. Dust, the renewable resource. It will outlast the roaches, outlast our bones. Be made from all the bones yet to die. There will always be dust for prayer. There is dust for us now.
Image of Khairani Barokka
Photo below by Derrick Kakembo
Written Image Description:
Black and white photo of an Indonesian woman with short hair, earrings, and a patterned dress, lying down on her front, pen in hand, ready to write.
Written Image Description:
Gallery view. A large projected film still of the clip Dust Prayer on a gallery wall in a darkened room. The film still shows the face of an Indonesian woman looking into the camera, and white text which says ‘by Khairani Barokka.’ in the centre of the screen.
Written Image Description:
Gallery view of Dust Prayer by Barokka. A large projected film still on a white wall. The film still shows a low angle shot of a white ceiling, and two hands rubbing together. There is white text which says ‘God does not want to give you a burden,’ written on the bottom of the screen.
#CripRitual 