by Malak Musa

_{Forged from the memories of my grandmother, “Fatimah bint Salamah Almarwani”—may Allah have mercy on her soul—}

A few months after my grandmother’s passing, I found myself drawn to the stories people who knew her shared. The resilience, choices, and the quiet ways in which she and the women in my family shaped our lineage. Teeb Al-Tybat emerged from this personal reflection, intertwining memory, grief, and inheritance into an interactive narrative. I saw it as a way to preserve the disappearing voices of Hijazi Bedouin women, whose histories often remain unwritten yet persist in the objects, scents, and traditions they leave behind.

The project’s structure reflects the nature of oral storytelling, where stories shift based on who is telling them and who is listening. In the same way, the choices within Teeb Al-Tybat mirror the generational dilemmas my foremothers faced, whether to hold onto traditions or adapt to shifting realities. The enchanted oud bottle within the story is a symbol of continuity, carrying the weight of ancestral wisdom, sacrifice, and the passage of time.

This project laid the foundation for my MFA thesis, Kaynounah Minhun: Essences of Them (fem.), which further explores the narratives of Bedouin Hijazi women through collective memory and interactive installations. Both works examine the fragile space between remembrance and erasure, questioning what is preserved, what is lost, and who gets to decide. By blending real histories with speculative storytelling, Teeb Al-Tybat challenges the notion that Bedouin heritage belongs only to the past. Instead, it positions these histories as dynamic and ever-present, shaping the way contemporary Hijazi women understand their identity.

Inspired by decolonizing research methodologies, particularly Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s work on storytelling as a form of cultural reclamation, I aimed to create a space where my foremothers’ narratives could be experienced rather than simply read. Interactivity allows the audience to step into the weight of these choices, making them active participants rather than passive observers. This aligns with my broader practice of reviving and sustaining ancestral knowledge, ensuring that these stories do not disappear into history but remain present, tangible, and alive.

Teeb Al-Tybat is a quiet act of resistance against cultural amnesia. It serves as a bridge between generations, inviting audiences to not only listen to the past but to imagine new ways of carrying it forward.

_{This project is part of Becoming Visible, Spring 2023 at The New School, New York City.}