Ab
2018
Projection monitors, programming, and composition
11:33 minutes and 8 x 5 x 6 feet
A computer program composed by Asgary processes her voice, saying "ab," the only word she learned to read or write in Farsi, into beats that correlate to the unique measurements of her grandmother's room in Esfahan, Iran, and her own in Oakland, CA. One screen displays a photograph of her grandmother's room and the other, her room, each playing its corresponding audio composition. When played facing each other simultaneously, the compositions naturally phase in and out of each other, creating a poly-spatial rhythm and bringing to life a third space between the two. The composition lasts the total time for both rooms to fill metaphorically, layer upon layer, until full with "ab," the Farsi word for water. The viewer can never quite fit between the two screens. The lights from the screens are the only source of illumination, and due to the discrepancy in the static image and screen technology, highlights appear to flicker.
Commissioned by SoundWave Biennial
Photographic documentation by Jorge Bachmann