Application to the Coha-Gunderson Prize
in Speculative Futures, 2026-2027
CEDAR INCANTATIONS TO AWAKEN THE BEAST
A project in Process by Dima Mabsout
With the collaboration of Farah Azrak
With the collaboration of Farah Azrak
Original Photography taken during field research to the Cedars of God Reserve, Lebanon in December 2025
Above: Collage of the oldest tree at the reserve for whom we played the incantation. I intend to print each photo on a large fabric to reconstruct the tree in an installation.
Left: Sick trees at the reserve. A wax is painted on their stumps to prevent the infestation of the web-spinning sawfly. I draw lines across the waxes stumps to enduce a protective web.
Below: Photograph of the the highest mountain in Lebanon, which was once blanketed by Cedar trees. The rectangle locates the Cedars of God reserve, a small patch left in a barren landscape.
Above: Collage of the oldest tree at the reserve for whom we played the incantation. I intend to print each photo on a large fabric to reconstruct the tree in an installation.
Left: Sick trees at the reserve. A wax is painted on their stumps to prevent the infestation of the web-spinning sawfly. I draw lines across the waxes stumps to enduce a protective web.
Below: Photograph of the the highest mountain in Lebanon, which was once blanketed by Cedar trees. The rectangle locates the Cedars of God reserve, a small patch left in a barren landscape.
Incantations - Orignial Soundpiece (linked above)
by Farah Azrak x Dima Mabsout
The track was played to the oldest tree at Cedars of God Reserve in Lebanon as an attempt to recreate the soundscape of the Cedar forest in Mount Lebanon where Humbaba lived over 5000 years ago, as described in Tablet V of the Epic of Gigamesh. It also includes the reading of the tablet from the Cuniform transliteration below*. Can sound ignite a dormant memory or a potential future reunion?
*REFERENCED FROM RESEARCH PAPER:
BACK TO THE CEDAR FOREST: THE BEGINNING AND END OF TABLET V
by F. N. H. Al-Rawi and A. R. George
TRANSLITERATION:
17 [i-na ku]l-lat gišqišti(tir) is-su-⌈ru⌉ i-sa-an-bur
18 [x x] ⌈i⌉-tap-pa-la i-[ḫab-b]u-bu rig-
⌈mu⌉
19 [e-du-ú?] zi-za-nu ⌈ši!-si-tú⌉ ú-na-’-⌈i⌉
20 [x x ]x-ú il-tam-ma-ru ⌈x (x)-bu⌉ ú-šaḫ-la[l]
21 [i-dam-m]u-um ur-šá-nu sukanninu(tu.kur)mušen i-tap-pal
22 [x x x] raq-raq-qu i-raš gišqištu(tir)
23 [x x x] tarlugallu(dar.lugal)mušen i-⌈raš⌉ qištu(tir) nuḫša(hé.nun)
24 [pa-ga-t]i ⌈iš⌉
-tam-ma-ra mi-ra-nu pa-gi-i ⌈i⌉
-lab-bu
25 [kīma(gim) ki-si]r? na-a-ri u ti-gi-i :
26 u4-mi-⌈šam⌉-ma ur-ta-sa-nu ina pa-⌈ni⌉ dḫum-ba-ba
17 [i-na ku]l-lat gišqišti(tir) is-su-⌈ru⌉ i-sa-an-bur
18 [x x] ⌈i⌉-tap-pa-la i-[ḫab-b]u-bu rig-
⌈mu⌉
19 [e-du-ú?] zi-za-nu ⌈ši!-si-tú⌉ ú-na-’-⌈i⌉
20 [x x ]x-ú il-tam-ma-ru ⌈x (x)-bu⌉ ú-šaḫ-la[l]
21 [i-dam-m]u-um ur-šá-nu sukanninu(tu.kur)mušen i-tap-pal
22 [x x x] raq-raq-qu i-raš gišqištu(tir)
23 [x x x] tarlugallu(dar.lugal)mušen i-⌈raš⌉ qištu(tir) nuḫša(hé.nun)
24 [pa-ga-t]i ⌈iš⌉
-tam-ma-ra mi-ra-nu pa-gi-i ⌈i⌉
-lab-bu
25 [kīma(gim) ki-si]r? na-a-ri u ti-gi-i :
26 u4-mi-⌈šam⌉-ma ur-ta-sa-nu ina pa-⌈ni⌉ dḫum-ba-ba
17 [Through] all the forest a bird began to sing:
18 […] were answering one another, a constant din was the noise,
19 [A solitary(?)] tree-cricket set of a noisy chorus,
20 […] were singing a song, making the … pipe loud.
21 A wood pigeon was moaning, a turtle dove calling in answer.
22 [At the call of] the stork, the forest exults,
23 [at the cry of] the francolin, the forest exults in plenty.
24 [Monkey mothers] sing aloud, a youngster monkey shrieks:
25 [like a band(?)] of musicians and drummers(?),
26 daily they bash out a rhythm in the presence of Ḫumbaba.