Memory is the substance that shapes my identity, and “Towards Reset” delves into the idea that revisiting tradition and history allows for an interpretation and inhabitation of time where multiple temporal expressions intersect. Building upon the foundation laid in Part One: “Kingdom of Time,” the alignment between design as an ontological and aesthetic experience with everyday objects becomes evident, particularly those that furnish our reality throughout history. An artifact that embodies this connection is my grandmother’s wooden mould, a hand-carved cookie maker, displayed in my kitchen.
This item holds significance as it was used for making ma’amoul, a sweet traditionally patterned by hand or with the ma’amoul mould. The ritual of making and sharing ma’amouls is a regional artifact symbolizing continuity across cultures in the Middle East. The artefact becomes an agency of memory and cultural connection.
Between 2020 and 2022, the world grappled with various stages of COVID lockdowns, restricting travel and limiting access to workshops. This period prompted a shift in perspective, drawing me back to my New York residency and influencing a change in my design practice. The scarcity of materials led me to experiment with food as a design medium, exploring its sensory properties and potential in design.
Inspired by my grandmother’s wooden cookie mould, a performative experience unfolded during a lockdown in 2021, resulting in “Ma’amoul” – a small production project designing edible items for sharing. Unlike traditional documentation methods, this project involved following a recipe as a designer, exploring the precision and balance of ingredients through a scientific lens. The kitchen became a laboratory, and I, the performer, followed a process with an expected outcome.
Designing with food marked a departure from conventional documentation, emphasizing the sensory aspects of preparation. This project became an intuitive, learning experience, akin to working with a new material. The act of making ma’amoul, traditionally labor-intensive and associated with celebrations, became a temporal experience during lockdown, slowing down time and turning an ordinary activity into something special.
Reflecting on this endeavor, I recognize it as a temporal experience, where the COVID lockdown provided the freedom of time at home to engage in a labor-intensive activity that, under normal circumstances, might have been considered extraordinary. The ma’amoul project, with its taste, smell, and tactile elements, served as a Proustian moment, evoking childhood memories and a connection to my grandmother’s kitchen—a transcendental experience through a simple wooden cookie mould