Maysam Al-Ani

 This piece was made on Unity. It includes two bowls that I created on Blender. I wanted to recreate this specific bowl design because it is the most commonly used in Middle Eastern households and restaurants. I used the instantiate function to make the sunflower seeds and shells appear. When you Right Click, seeds spawn into the right bowl. When you Left Click, seed shells spawn into the left bowl and deducts a full seed from the right bowl. On the bottom, there is a live news reel that shows you real-time major headlines from news channel Al Jazeera.

In Middle Eastern culture, sunflower seeds hold a significant role in intimate social gatherings between close friends and family. This piece recreates that setting: two bowls that are decorated in a commonly used design in the Middle East, a wooden tray, a carpet, and ceramic tiled floors.

When I think of sunflower seeds, I think of those items. I think of the people surrounding me: loved ones, family, and friends. I think of the types of conversations I have with those people, usually in Arabic. The nature of snacking on sunflower seeds while conversing about an array of topics creates a sense of passage of time, of leisure, and of connection. While this is a lovely atmosphere to be in, it is often done in the presence of news on TV. With this piece, I want to create a commentary on the increasing tensions and conflicts occurring in the world and the denial of the urgency of action that should take place. Many of these heartbreaking stories are forgotten or neglected, and for the privileged, have become a sort of entertainment that you can leave and return to as you wish, with the power of a button.