By the Mouth of a Wadi
2022
Solo exhibition at Tiger Strikes Asteroid NY
installation, print and video
In Qanat, a large interactive sound and light installation named after the ancient Iranian underground water channel system, Asgary amplifies the resonant qualities of a traditional rug with the sound of water, as a pendulum microphone hung above picks up the amplified sounds of the rug, movements, and room tone, creating a live feedback loop. Visitors are invited to sit, lay or stand on the rug, affecting the transmission of sound throughout the gallery. Appearing to undulate and move, the illuminated central motif of the rug traditionally signifies a fountain, and its elongated cast shadow inverts the mythical “Peacock’s Tail” from Islamic dome architecture. The exhibition also includes a series of embossed prints that are topographical mappings created by Asgary’s breath and a video work that references water, transmission, and incommunicability. Enveloping the viewer in a womb-like sound and space, By the Mouth of a Wadi reminds us that we are all born into the comforting darkness of sound and water.
By the Mouth of a Wadi is funded in part by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant
Associated:
Sholeh Asgary + the Ad Hoc Collective for Improvising Mourning Technologies for Future Griefs
Related Links:
Bushwick Daily Review: Sholeh Asgary Keeps the Rug Up
Hyperallergic: Your Concise New York Art Guide for January 2022
documentation: Yael Eban (courtesy of Tiger Strikes Asteroid, New York)
