Some of Negin Ehtesabian's Hands and Shoes Project

Your Day/My Night: Round 3: Pressure Valve/Virtual Confinement

From Patrick Litchty's Blog <http://patricklichty.wordpress.com/>:

This is the third round of our conversation, where the rules were to abandon the mediation of the translator and try to directly interact for the creation of a work. In this case the Iranian team wanted the Americans to somehow experience the pressures they feel on a daily basis. This is the text they sent us (in Farsi, translated through an online site):“We chose the theme, the constant psychological pressure – sometimes there are tangible physical consequences – that the Iranian middle class people as a natural part of everyday life and being, and perhaps other Adyshdn Frt not sense, but there is continuing pressure is. This pressure can cause a variety of self-censorship, constantly watch their behavior and divided into two parts and is underground. It’s more pressure on women and the banned area is larger, perhaps more typically violate her.”“We recommend that your group, this pressure as a tangible experience. You secretly a completely normal life and do not feel guilty, so I put on it and discovered that the act is a crime punishable by law and will be fined. For example, drinking, or kissing, or even a dress is too tight or open Partnrtan. And knowing that this move is illegal, and you can go to prison or flogging Bhkhatrsh eat. Or you can get a dress and with different sizes and all day Bhtn yourself with your shield. Or the belt tighter than usual to close the two numbers, or wear tighter shoes all day with your life.”“We want you to experience this one day, that might seem a minor issue, but continue to be imposed, it can be as seemingly insignificant issues can become a serious problem.”The American team was baffled at first. How do we restrict ourselves while reaching out to the Iranians directly? We decided to confine ourselves to a single room (studio, bathroom, etc.) for 24 hours (Sundown/Sundown) while extending our presence in the online virtual world of Second Life. It is our hope to meet with our Iranian counterparts and dialogue while we are also likewise confined to a tent in Second Life. This is the pressure we impose upon ourselves, in an attempt to understand, however slightly, in solidarity with our Iranian counterparts.

Round Two: Instruction from the American Team- Some Works by the Iranian Team

Topic: Hands

Part of the Instructions:

We shake hands to say hello.
our hands act as a representation, a simulacra to the other it is encountering.
Each hand conveying the intention of the other.
our touch, our tactility acts as a vantage point to the universe.
do you have synaesthetic response to tactility? can you hear through your hands?
we extend our fears, we extend our compassion, we extend our intimacy
through this interaction.
a extension of our body as a form of communication.
We shake hands to say goodbye

With your hands:
Say hello to us.
Talk with your hands.
Make music with your hands
With your hands, show us what you mean
Feed us.
Extend yourselves to us
Then
Say goodbye to us until the next time.
[....]

Vana Nabipour

                                                    Still Images from Sasan's Video

Round Two :Instructions from the Iranian Team- Works the American Team - Edited by Zeren

Topic: Games

Instruction:

New Addition to the Iranian Team

We are super excited about Negin Ehtesabian's addition to our Your Night/My Day project. Negin was not in Iran when we started our project, but now that she is back, she has agreed to join us! Negin was one of the artists and the organizer of the Iranian team in our IRUS Art project. You can see her work here:
http://www.coroflot.com/neginete 

TEDxDU Morehshin Allahyari -- Collaborative art in countries of conflict

The process/ Visualized