SīK

Sīk is an abstraction of a journey that resembles a block, slowly taking shape from a more intact center. As the passerby approaches the installation, Sīk reveals a path into its parts, emphasizing the role of the journey in altering our perception of the object. 

The clay coins used to create this spatial experience were produced as part of a continued collaboration between Petra National Trust and Cambridge Highschool

In this commission by Petra National Trust, Arini challenged the traditional use of clay, a fundamental craft in the inherited cultural and artistic heritage of the Petra community, which PNT foregrounds in their youth-empowerment programs across that region.

The challenge was to present the material of clay in new innovative ways for the visitors to explore as part of their Journey Through Crafts ‘Rihlā fil Hiraf’, along the lines of the 2019 Crafts District’s curatorial vision that highlights the evolution and transformation of seemingly frozen notions of craftsmanship.  

The final result mirrored the experience of walking through the Siq of Petra, in which one would find themselves slowed down by the sand underneath as they become immersed in the atmospheric quietness and the intimate path through the clay coins.