Squint/Opera produced immersive media for three dynamic and engaging installations at this ambitious cultural site.
The Abrahamic Family House encompasses a mosque, a church, a synagogue, and a Forum where visitors are invited to participate in a unique environment, including guided tours, exhibitions, and opportunities to foster knowledge exchange.
The essence of our project is inclusivity. The content encompasses a diverse range of cultures and religious practices, it is a reflection of varied traditions and beliefs of the 3.8 billion people who follow the major Abrahamic religions.
We are aiming to foster a space of unity and understanding through the Abrahamic Family House, a forum designed to encourage dialogue and bridge gaps among these faiths. The goal is to create a harmonious environment where ideas and beliefs are shared and respected.
Our media looks, in turn, at journeys of faith through everyday lives, the symbolism of light, the importance of the word, and the coming together of faith communities in places of worship. They each express elements of common humanity across three distinct faiths. They are deeply underpinned by the core messages of peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, empathy, and acceptance promoted by the Abrahamic Family House.
The first installation, ‘Faith’, comprises 11 dynamic, petal-shaped AV screens that showcase different life events in the religious journeys of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
The installation utilises specially commissioned films, which offer insight into each faith’s various rites and rituals, from coming-of-age ceremonies to festivals and pilgrimages. The footage is carefully choreographed across the 11 petal-shaped screens to encourage viewers to move around the space and explore different perspectives of the various faith journeys.
These visual elements incorporate particle effects which intersperse with the rites and ritual footage; symbolising the spiritual journey of religious individuals. They begin in singularities and then variously come together in groups to represent celebration and pilgrimage.
The second installation, ‘Word,’ focuses on the three respective holy texts of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The installation showcases nine extracts from the Quran, Bible and Torah.
The final installation, ‘Place’, explores the relationship between religious spaces and faith. Two immersive LED screens, incorporated into a plinth and the ceiling, depict different prayer environments, like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The installation begins with wide shots of religious spaces, such as mosques and churches, captured through drone footage. It then gradually moves to more domestic interiors as a path through each religious journey. This macro-to-micro narrative highlights how worship takes many forms, from collective to deeply personal, private prayer.
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