Maha Malluh’s work is rooted in her native country of Saudi Arabia and
the significant changes it has undergone since the oil wealth
transformed it into the complex patchwork of tradition, globalization
and consumer culture. As a conceptual artist, her installations examine
the emblematic and cultural symbols of Saudi Arabian civilization.
Building on her Food for Thought series, Malluh has ventured out of the
perimeters of her household into the wider Saudi environment. The
objects she uses are no longer smaller personal items, but what can be
described as historic items that represent the collective identity of
Saudi society. The proposed sculpture encompasses old large pots
which are bound together to form towers. These massive pots with
their vintage feel were a common feature of a typical Saudi dinner
table, usually laid on the floor with the contents shared by the diners.
They are remnants of a nomadic tradition, when meals were prepared
not for only one or two people, but for an entire extended family of
relatives and friends.

In this new iteration, Food for Thought: Mathloutha, the three towers of
pots celebrate a famous dish from Saudi history, composed of three
layers that represent three renowned Saudi dishes. The work honours
the tradition of hospitality while serving as a visual testimony to both
personal and collective histories. Mathloutha is a recreation made of
aluminium pots collected from various flea markets across Saudi Arabia
—pots that have long been, and continue to be, used for cooking
special traditional Saudi meals. Yet with food always come other
narratives, other stories, other histories; histories of travel, adventure,
and change, as well as anecdotes and comic tales, all of which people
share and exchange over meals. The towers symbolise modernity and
urbanisation, while Malluh’s use of these nostalgic dishes is an appeal
to the younger generations to hold on to the traditions that count, and
to resist completely surrendering to a fast-paced life, with all its
modern temptations.