video, in loop, 2021/2026
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Presented as part of the event AROUND | GOLESTĀN, MOOI SPACE, Toronto, March 21, 2026
This animated video is drawn from the series of works L’envol (2021), created for the Charles Biddle and Maurice Pollack awards as part of a commission by Culture pour tous for the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration. It features thirty birds, referencing The Conference of the Birds (1177) by the Iranian poet Attar, which tells the story of a group of birds setting out in search of their king, crossing seven valleys before discovering that the divine source lies within themselves.
The sound and music, sourced from Iran, ground the work in a contemporary reality. They echo the nationwide protests of January 8–9, 2026, which were violently suppressed by the state, during which thousands were killed or affected. The work thus weaves a connection between spiritual quest and collective experience, evoking both resistance, memory, and the fragility of voices that have been silenced.