Rituals of Return

Across many Muslim communities, Eid is marked by the tradition of open house – a time when homes are opened to family, neighbours, and visitors in an ongoing rhythm of arrival, conversation, and return. These gatherings are less about spectacle and more about maintenance: of relationships, kinship, and belonging. 
 
Rituals of Return draws on this tradition to explore how care, memory, and ritual are carried across migration. Through a series of participatory and visual elements, the installation reimagines the domestic space as a site of knowledge – where everyday acts such as cooking, hosting, cleaning, and gathering become the quiet infrastructures that sustain community. 
 
At the centre of the space is The Long Table, a growing, collective artwork that invites visitors to reflect on meals that connect them to home. Painted forms and blank spaces sit alongside contributions from participating families, with visitors encouraged to draw and add their own memories throughout the day. As the work accumulates, it becomes a shared archive of food, care, and belonging. 
 
Surrounding this central piece are a series of atmospheric documentary photographs capturing the often-unseen labour that makes gathering possible – preparation, coordination, waiting, and small gestures of care. Together, these works offer a fuller picture of belonging, not only as identity or celebration, but as an ongoing practice. 
 
Visitors are also invited to contribute written reflections through a series of prompts, building a collective record of personal memories and experiences of home. A resting space, inspired by domestic environments, offers a place to pause, sit, and connect – extending the ethos of hospitality into the museum. 

The program is presented in collaboration with An.Other Collective.