Michael Rakowitz - Date Palm Tea Towel

A House With A Date Palm Will Never Starve

So says this Arabic proverb used by artist Mark Rakowitz on this lovely wooden spoon which commemorates his work, The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist, that exhibited on the famous Forth Plinth in Trafalger Square, London in 2018. The sculpture was of Lemassu, a winged bull and protective deity that stood at the Nirva Gate of Nineveh until it was destroyed by ISIS in 2015. The work is a continuation of his aim to recreate the 7000 objects looted from the Iraq Museum after the Iraq War or destroyed across the country by certain factions.

When it came to producing a range with Plinth, Rakowitz looked to another of his passions which is how food and how hospitality can be used to bridge the social and political divide when people come together to eat. The date is an integral part of middle eastern cuisine so to own a date palm means there will always be an ingredient to feed family and friends and those we haven't met yet. Consisting of a cook book, wooden spoon, and enamel pin, these will make a beautiful gift for people who appreciate the importance of hospitality.

Michael Rakowitz is exhibiting at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art 15 July 2023 - 26 May 2024.

100% Cotton Tea Towel