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A handful of mint

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On an island
2022

Narges Mohammadi, Een hand vol munt [A handful of mint], 30 x 30 cm copper plate and mint. As shown in the project Op een eiland at Waterwerken, Buitenplaats Brienenoord (Rotterdam), 2022. Photography by Lizzy Zaanen. Courtesy of Narges Mohammadi & Copperfield, London.



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The site-specific artwork Een hand vol munt [A handful of mint] consists of a copper plate that was made on an English wheel. I was inspired by the medieval tradition of throwing coins of copper into water for the purpose of sanitisation of the water itself. Copper surfaces quickly kill dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Although the tradition persisted, coin tossing later became a symbol of luck, hope, and prosperity, even though today’s coins are made of nickel, zinc, and only a small percentage of copper. Placed on a bed of mint plants in reference to the Dutch word for coin (‘munt’), the artwork holds, cleanses, and sanitises the water falling from the sky. In the sheltered garden of Buitenplaats Brienenoord, visitors can lift the water by making a bowl with both hands. In doing so, the hands take the shape of a prayer, reversing the act of tossing a coin.

Photography by Lizzy Zaanen

Many thanks to

Maurice Meewisse