Where There is a Ruin was both an art installation and a poetry performance set between Coventry Cathedral Ruins, RISING Peace Forum – and online. It evoked a cycle of destruction, renewal, giving and receiving which resides in the collective memory of the city –  and its connection to so many other places that have been affected by violent conflict.

On the final day of RISING, over 100 small, green, wrapped objects – symbols of loss, conflict and migration – were installed by the artist in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral as an offering to the space and anyone who came in search of one.

In the evening Alinah gave a short performance recital of a poem in the Cathedral to close RISING, which she wrote inspired by her research and engagement with Coventry’s history, its culture of welcome and the leading-edge work of the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre. For more about the background and motivation for her work, as RISING 16 National Artist-in-Residence read her blog on this site. The video clip of the performance and photos of the installation will be on this and the RISING site soon.

The performance acted as a bridge between the end of the Forum and the transition to Rising Free at Fargo Village, where she also performed one of her more personal stories  from a growing collection of work rooted in her British – Iranian identity. Alinah was also on the Culture and Conflict: Art and Activism panel during RISING, which also be on Youtube in the coming weeks.

More on RISING here. Supported by The Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University.