The development of Seed Forms began with Khorramdel's profound encounter with Ogrisseg in October 2023. Both Khorramdel and Ogrisseg had been exploring the philosophies of Bön Religion, and Ogrisseg shared a vivid dream involving the Simurgh, a mythical horned bird from Persian mythology. This dream, in which the bird is initially a terrifying skeleton awaiting its heart (symbolized by a green rock), profoundly influenced the project's direction. The Bön tradition's highest deity, the loving Mother, parallels Khorramdel and Ogrisseg's quest to unify their cultural origins, tracing back to Tagzig—an ancient kingdom from 18,000 years ago, thought to be located in the modern-day Pamir region.
The connection between language, sound, and the environment was a vital research element. For Khorramdel, the original language unfolds in her intuitive paintings, often featuring calligraphic brush strokes that form a language she doesn’t consciously know but feels deeply primordial. Existing in a collective unconscious, forgotten letterforms without specific meaning yet fused with profound energetic properties. Ogrisseg posits that we, as beings of sound, might have developed our linguistics from our surroundings, particularly from the patterns of bird songs. This inquiry relates to the dream of the Simurgh, a creature representing a primordial connection to sound, language, and spirit.
The performative aspect of the installation took place in Yamg Village in Pamir at the shore of the Panj River, which geographically divides Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The performance unfolded as a blend of various mediums. As Ogrisseg sang, Khorramdel, as a vessel, translated colors and shapes onto a raw muslin held by an easel. In a performance, the muslin canvas is used to invite the artist and the easel designed in a way that can be used to document the durational aspect of the sound, continuously as it unfolds more fabric and gives an ability to paint on both sides of canvas. And later, when exhibited, the muslin as an artifact, invites the viewer to contemplate notions of transcendence and embarks on a visual journey into an inner, intuitive, and metaphysical realm, where the easel becomes the portal through which the recording of the permanence itself is screened. As well as the sound aspect that Ogrisseg’s performance accompanies the visual representation in the space through the speakers.
Carved door jambs ornamentation, Badakhshan, Courtesy of Oyat Shukurov
Carved door jambs ornamentation, Badakhshan, Courtesy of Oyat Shukurov
Carved door jambs ornamentation, Badakhshan, Courtesy of Oyat Shukurov
Carved door jambs ornamentation, Badakhshan, Courtesy of Oyat Shukurov
Stills from the video of the performance
Wooden door, Badakhshan, early 20th Century, Courtesy of Oyat Shukurov
© 2024 by Sabina Khorramdel.