Salaison is French for salting: curing food products by covering them in a thick layer of salt, in order to preserve them longer (and, as a side effect, change their flavour). Inspired by that traditional method of preservation, M-A Collective and choreographer Saman Mahdavi propose an ecofeminist (in)fertility ritual that juxtaposes food and deprivation, preservation and destruction, bodies and salt. How can we survive (in) western societies?

about

Founded in 2022 in Brussels, M-A Collective brings together Iranian artists from different disciplines to draw attention to violence against women in Iran. The collective is named after Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman who was murdered by Iran's morality police on 16 September 2022. The collective's name, ‘ma, ما’, meaning ‘us’ or ‘we’ in Persian, symbolises unity. Inspired by Iranian rituals and traditions, M-A Collective brings participatory live art to festivals and art institutions in Belgium, using their platform to advocate for women's rights in the Middle East and beyond.
https://www.instagram.com/ma.collective_/

Saman Mahdavi is an artist from Iran who works with movement, installation, text and images (taswir) in order to question political struggles, contemporary crises and ancient wisdom from the Middle East. Fascinated by heat, they create a poetic world in which their hands become a mirror of the eternal fire of the soul. Saman completed studies in theatre in Tehran and choreography in Amsterdam. Their work has already been shown in Tehran, Beirut and Amsterdam.
https://www.instagram.com/__samanm/

Born in Rasht, Iran, Haleh Chinikar has lived in Brussels since 2007. Artist and poet, the body, memory, language and textiles are the pillars of her creations. In her work, installation and performance contribute to a shared experience with the public. In November 2021, her book Où est ma maison? was published by Éditions La place. Following the revolts that began in September 2022 in Iran, she co-founded M-A Collective. A collective of Iranian performance artists. She performs both in her collective and in her individual creations.
https://halehchinikar.com/