Iranians have celebrated Nowruz, which means “a new day,” since at least the 6th century. One of the customs and traditions of the festival is the Haft-Sin table. To celebrate nature and its blessings, Iranians prepare a table at the beginning of the new year and place symbolic items upon it. Approximately 80 years ago, redfish gradually became a part of the Haft Sin tables while initially being a symbol of Chinese New Year. The only reason redfish is welcomed in ancient Iran and on the Haft Sin table is its vivid red color. However, this type of fish is reproduced exclusively for this purpose, and it has become an increasingly cruel business to sell and breed these fish in recent years.
The fish are kept in small fishbowls that lack oxygen and a proper water cycle. The fishbowl is like a prison for the fish, and most die before returning to nature. During nature day, some Iranians release them into nearby rivers and ponds, but this is not a sustainable solution.
The hand that moves the sculpture challenges those who purchase these creatures. In this work, even though the buyer drives the fish and gives some significance to its life, they unknowingly commit a mistake by buying redfish. A video is projected on the wall depicting a beautiful redfish. Several seconds later, a blurry image shows someone catching a fish with a net to sell. Every year, this process occurs at the beginning of the new year. By informing the public, we hope to reduce the purchase of these fish and eventually remove them from New Year’s decorations.
