Welded Tree Installation for Earth Week
This welded tree sculpture, commissioned by the Office of Sustainability for the Earth Week event at UTD, serves as a public art piece, symbolizing the enduring connection between humanity and the natural world. Inspired by the geometric compositions of Piet Mondrian, the tree emphasizes the fragility of our ecosystems and the urgent need for environmental stewardship. Participants are invited to hang objects on the tree’s branches, turning them into a collaborative act of reflection and care for the environment. Each contribution becomes part of the tree’s evolving narrative, reinforcing the importance of collective action in addressing sustainability challenges. As a centerpiece of Earth Week, this installation encourages viewers to reflect on their environmental impact, fostering dialogue and a shared commitment to preserving our planet for future generations. In collaboration with Zahra Jafarpour
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Word, Thread, and the Magnolia
Word, Thread, and The Magnolia Word, Thread, and The Magnolia is an interdisciplinary installation created by LabSynthE, a creative laboratory within the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication at the University of Texas at Dallas. Installed in the East Flushing Gallery at The Ulrich Museum of Art, this work explores themes of language, nature, and connection. Constructed with vinyl, markers, prompts, resin-coated magnolia leaves, embroidered magnolia pods, custom paper towels, and embroidered fabric, the piece draws inspiration from magnolia leaves and their shadows, as well as a poem by Chilean artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña. Through its diverse materials and tactile forms, the installation invites reflection on the delicate interplay between words, threads of connection, and natural elements. LabSynthE’s work represents a fusion of artistic practice and poetic inquiry, offering visitors an intimate and thought-provoking experience. The Ulrich Museum of Art is grateful to Ulrich50 donors, the Friends with Benefits group, and support from the City of Wichita and Wichita State University, whose contributions make exhibitions like this possible. In collaboration with Zahra Jafarpour
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Sturgeon, 2023, Mixed Media
This installation highlights the critical issue of marine life degradation caused by pollution, overfishing, and industrial exploitation. At the heart of the piece is a life-sized sturgeon fish sculpted entirely from welded bolts and nuts, symbolizing the industrial impact on marine ecosystems. The sturgeon serves as a powerful reminder of its decline in the Caspian Sea due to overfishing for caviar, known as “black gold,” and the rampant pollution of its habitat. This piece was inspired by a personal childhood memory of witnessing fishermen extract caviar from sturgeons, discarding the still-living fish back into the river with open stomachs. Once abundant, sturgeons are now endangered, their numbers decimated by industrial fishing practices and pollution. To emphasize the connection between industry and environmental destruction, the sculpture incorporates an oil pump and hoses that circulate used oil through the sturgeon’s fins, a visceral representation of pollution coursing through marine life. The sculpture is mounted on a barrel pedestal filled with used oil, reinforcing the toxic relationship between industry and nature. This piece invites viewers to reflect on the fragility of marine ecosystems and humanity’s complicity in their decline. By using discarded industrial materials—bolts, nuts, and oil—the work evokes both destruction and […]
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TimeZone, 2023,
TimeZone is a collaborative project developed by Hadi Asgharpour, Maedeh Asgharpour, and LabSynthE as part of ATCM 6377 Creativity as Social Practice. This project explores the relationship between immigrant experiences and the role of video calls in bridging geographical distances. The project invites immigrants to record and share video conversations with family members separated by long distances. This encourages active participation and celebrates communication across space and time. The project also embraces the concept of global communication, as described by Thomas Nail, by highlighting the ubiquity of image and information sharing in our digital age. In his book, Handbook of Art and Global Migration (2019), Nail explains the global aspect of images: “Today, it is possible for anyone to communicate by voice or text with anyone else; to listen to almost every sound ever recorded; to view almost any image ever made, and to read almost any text ever written from a single device and almost any location on Earth” (Nail, 2019, page 60). The project features recorded video calls presented through various old telephone installations enhanced by projection mapping technology. During the video call, one person appears on the top of the telephone, while the other appears on the […]
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Memoirs of A Wooden Boat V2
The installation ‘Memoirs of A Wooden Boat’ is part of a larger body of works aimed at drawing attention to the alarming environmental changes in the northern region of Iran. Specifically, the installation directs its focus toward the drying wetlands and lagoons, highlighting the drastic transformations that these ecosystems have undergone. The installation features a boat suspended from the ceiling instead of floating in water. The boat represents the harsh reality of a once-vibrant lagoon that has now been reduced to a fraction of its original depth. Historical records indicate that the lagoon was over eight meters deep, yet today, it possesses less than one meter of water. The hanging boat is a poignant metaphor for the environmental issues affecting these precious ecosystems. It subtly moves and struggles whenever someone approaches, as a vivid reminder of the boat’s memories and the urgent need to address these issues. The installation used Arduino technology to control a servo motor orchestrating the boat’s animated movements. Additionally, a PIR sensor, which is sensitive to motion, enhances the interactive experience by responding to the presence of viewers. Through the installation ‘Memoirs of A Wooden Boat,’ the artist aims to spark conversations, inspire action, and foster […]
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The Significance of Chairs, 2023, Found Objects
A chair can reveal much about the person who made or bought it. By looking at it, you can guess their origins, personality, tastes, financial or social standing, and even their profession. A chair serves multiple purposes- a place to sit, relax, chat with friends, eat, or work on your computer. “A seat with a back, intended for one person.” This means a chair is an individual seat for one person only. It’s not a sofa where you can share space with others. Even if you’re sitting next to others, a chair is designed to provide you with space. In addition, a chair offers support. You can lean on it without worrying about it wobbling or tipping over. For us, each chair represents a geographical border, a country, a culture, and a language. When you move to a new place, your chair may break, but you can take a piece of it and attach it to your new chair. You can also hold the legs of all the chairs to secure them. It’s essential to take a break and enjoy the new culture. The chair glued together with other chairs is a beautiful and unique creation. It reminds you of […]
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Redfish Prison, 2022, Mixed Media
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 […]
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Windows, 2021, Mixed Media
As cities continue to grow and evolve, many spacious houses and villas that once housed the elderly have been replaced with smaller apartments, often far removed from the beauty of nature. Unfortunately, this shift has hurt the psychological well-being of many of these individuals, who previously enjoyed the tranquility of large yards and open spaces. To combat this issue, I have designed a unique installation to restore a sense of natural surroundings and home comfort to these individuals. Using a small water pump, I created the illusion of raindrops falling on a window and added the soothing sounds of rain to the video through an audio recorder. With this installation, I hope to positively impact the lives of those struggling to adapt to their new living environments.
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Memoirs of A Wooden Boat V1, 2021, Mixed Media
This boat has a unique purpose – to raise awareness about the drying and pollution of wetlands and lagoons in the northern region of Iran. It doesn’t float on water but instead walks on land, reminding people of the sounds of water and aquatic creatures. The boat is powered by a navigation robot that moves randomly on a track designed to resemble a dried riverbed. I built the robot and an electronic circuit that records and plays the sound of a paddle and a frog. The boat is a creative way to bring attention to the importance of preserving wetlands and lagoons. This is the first version of the installation.
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