Holding, Release
At Home

(Transcription)
Hello and Welcome.

My name is Salima Punjani and I am the artist who created Holding, Release.
Thank you for being here.
This is an invitation to hold, to breathe, to think about the trust between an interconnected web of strangers.

For the next 20 minutes I will guide you through some reflections while you soak your hands in the salts you took home from the exhibition.

You will need the salts,
a bowl that fits both of your hands,
hot water,
a small towel
and a quiet place to listen.

You can pause here or continue listening as you gather the materials.

Fili Gibbons and I have designed a soundscape for you
to listen to throughout the experience.

My voice will be your cue to come back, make yourself comfortable and ready for the bath experience.

___

Welcome back

You’re holding something.
Someone made for you, a stranger who chose these materials
that represent something difficult in their lives,
trusting
that you would receive them with care.

Hold the bag of salt in your hands.

Notice the materials.

Empty the salt into the bowl.

Notice the colors inside.
Petals, salts, stems.
Some whole,
some crushed.

All intentionally chosen.

Slowly add the hot water.

Watch what happens.

The salt dissolving.
The flowers unfurling, unravelling.
The citrus expanding.
The seaweeds soaking in the water, changing shape and texture.

Notice how the water changes, clouding, clearing, darkening.
Constantly transforming.
How all of the different materials start to meet each other.

Hold your hands above the surface.

Feel the steam rise onto your palms, your wrists,
the delicate skin between your fingers.

Breathe it in.

Feel the steam rising.

Hold your hands above the bowl.

Feel the steam condense on your hands
and hold it over a body part that can use some care.

Let the steam rise onto your hands
and hold your hands over your eyes.

Feel the steam rise
on the back of your hands
and hold them on top of each other.

Let the steam rise
onto your fingertips
and brush them against your cheeks.

Let the steam rise
onto your hands
and
feel the warm condensation drip
slowly.

Let your fingertips dip into
and out of the water
until it's a temperature
that's comfortable for you.

Watch the materials dance in the bowl.

The patterns made by your fingertips.

When you're ready,
when the temperature feels right,
lower both hands into the water.

Let the petals cling to your skin.
Let the salt soften the parts of you that are tired.

Close your eyes.

Imagine that you are part of a web,
strangers scattered
across living rooms,
kitchen tables,
beds,
all holding their hands in water.

All trusting this small gesture
to hold something tender
in a chaotic world.

Something tender for someone
you don’t know.
You don’t know
who they are,
what they look like,
what they believe in.

You don’t know,
and
you have chosen to connect.

Move your hands slowly.

Let your fingers drift
through the blooms and broken stems.

Feel the mess of all the materials enveloping your hands.

Let the music guide your pace.

There's no wrong way to do this.

Stay as long as you need.
Stay as long as you need.

When you're ready, lift your hands out slowly.

Let the water drip back into the bowl.

Hold your hands against the towel and feel the droplets dissipate.

Feel the warmth, softness.

Notice how your skin feels.

Notice what you're carrying differently now.

A reminder that everyone is holding something.

You were.
You let yourself
connect,
hold,
release.

Before you start, a quick note about materials:

Each bath bag prepared for the artwork’s at-home experience contains Epsom salts and a selected assortment of plant-based materials. Contents vary from bag to bag.

Each bath bag may contain: Rose Hips, Rose Petals, Vetiver, Calendula, Juniper Berries, Spruce Tips, Damascus Rose Buds, Kelp, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Bitter Orange Peel, Elderberry, and/or Usnea.

Please be mindful of this if you have any known sensitivities.

You can also use whatever materials you love and follow along even if you haven't come to the in-gallery experience.

____________

A note that the idea of a hand bath/soak was influenced by Moira Williams' online crip bathhouses. Learn more about their work here: http://www.moira670.com