A 23‑minute durational performance, BINT turns her own body into a living microphone, routing the sounds of a ritual offering through contact microphones affixed to her forearm, upper arm, chest and fingertip. Blood is given as a protective sigil, forging a direct, embodied link between daughter and fore‑mother. The trans‑dermal vibrations become the sonic backbone of the work.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: blood, needles, graphic self‑inflicted imagery.

أمهات أمي / Mothers of My Mother (Mars in Cancer), 2024
Durational ritual performance (contact microphones, tattoo needles, henna)
Running time: 23 min 4 sec
Video documentation available
Los Angeles, CA, USA

This piece was born from a consultation with astrologer, Sasha Ravitch who identified five critical Martian election dates for BINT’s Mars‑centric Mareekh talisman project. One unusual date/timing stood out strongly—in relationship to my chart— that was deemed especially suited for necromantic Martial workings and phlebotomy.


In collaboration with tattooist and artist, Christos Tejada, BINT ritualistically constructed a stainless‑steel needle to draw blood on her forearm, inscribing a sigil that had emerged in a prior altar vision. A second pass used a tattoo machine filled with water rather than ink, heightening both tactile sensation and acoustic resonance. Contact microphones captured the puncture vibrations, which were later woven into ambient rhythmic soundscapes that accompany the visual installation.

Henna, inscribed in Arabic, was applied to her left palm and a specific finger to summon the presence of her mother’s mothers. Offerings were made of fresh flowers, candles, incenses, rose water, a family Quran, braided hair and variety of traditional foods and sweets that were cooked in the kitchen of my mother. These were presented in containers of heirloom silver, crystal glassware and jewelery also from my mother’s home. Photos and videos of the altar piece can be viewed on this separate page ︎︎︎


By foregrounding her own blood, flesh and agency, BINT reframes a private act of self‑infliction into an affirming declaration of autonomy: a daughter reclaiming her lineage, melting ancestral chains into protective armor, and inviting viewers to witness the embodied negotiation of memory, spirituality and artistic practice. 

CREDITS

This project was co-produced by C.R. Sanders, who also assisted with cameras. C.R. also played a key collaborative role in bringing the vision to life through brainstorming, planning and setup. Project shot at Widow’s Son Productions in Los Angeles.

Co-Producer/Cameras: C.R. Sanders
Tattoo Artist: Christos Tejada
Astrologer/Consultant: Sasha Ravitch


Special additional thanks to:
Laura Ellis - consultation and divination
Dr. Al Cummins - Ancestral Work course and info
J.M. Hamade - consult
Crank Sturgeon - contact microphones
Mom