Sacrifice

Sacrifice is a profound meditation on the implicit contract of existence: the acceptance of perpetual sacrifice. Created during a residency in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, the work juxtaposes biblical narratives with stark contemporary realities to explore themes of faith, violence, and survival. At its core, the film examines the duality of sacrifice - of the animal consumed for sustenance and of the innocent, whose lives are lost daily to war, famine, or neglect. 

The video unfolds through two arresting images. One frames a burning bush, referencing the legend of Mount Horeb - believed to be in KSA - where divine will demanded unwavering faith through the ultimate offering of the innocent, later substituted by a lamb. Slowed to an ethereal tempo by artificial intelligence, the flames appear eternal, symbolizing an undying faith—whether divine or in the hope that the world can change. Opposite this, a fixed shot reveals the carcass of an unidentified animal, decapitated and hanging in an abattoir on the margins of AlUla. This haunting image recalls the flayed oxen of Rembrandt and Soutine, placing the mundane brutality of slaughter within a lineage of artistic reflection on sacrifice and mortality. 

Through its stark contrasts, Sacrifice reflects on humanity’s enduring belief in exchange—the sacrifice of one life for the continuance of others. It interrogates the uneasy pact of faith that underpins this ritual, be it in divine salvation or in the fragile hope of a better future. As the flames consume and the flesh decays, Rials prompts a powerful reckoning with the cost of survival in an era of unending conflict.