Leila Hekmat

The Indecisive Ritual: Abstract Symphonies and the need for Order. I set a table everyday. It often happens without much thought. The hands invariably make their way around the table placing and replacing, moving and arranging. There are rules that one can follow when setting a table. Often we arrange things out of habit some of which are born from formal tradition. The practice of determining the precise arrangement of tableware has varied across cultures and historical periods. It can be difficult to break from certain habits. But it happens and each time it does the patterns begin to shift and the marks on the table become the residue of a previous act. I call this the indecisive ritual. Without fail the ritual always has a rhythm and tempo by which it assembles itself. However there is no formula that can predict what experience each table setting can produce. Creatures of habit drift ever so slightly from the routine passively aspiring for change. But certain things must always remain in place so as not to confuse the actor or person. Plates are normally set downstage alongside the silverware and occasionally the napkin. I don’t mind if they move upstage as long as they don’t confuse the place of the glasses that usually carry the most significance. Utensils are arranged in the order and the way a person will use them. There can certainly be an extra place setting if need be. But the hands usually add and subtract based on basic needs and overall temperament. The emotional needs are met often by adding a few new objects, which traditionally are out of context, and the subtraction of another. I think there must be some absence and contradiction in order to move forward. A few more movements and rotations take place. The hands look around to determine if everything is in order. I take my seat and begin.