This past Sunday - June 14th 2015 - we celebrated the new location of Evanston Art Center with some amazing art. The first show in the new location called "Hybrid's Paradise" curated by Sergio Gomez will be open to public for visit till August 9th 2015. I was honored to be selected as one of the artists for this amazing event so I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about Whispering Walls.
Sarvin Haghighi
Whispering Walls 2015
Installation of mixed media including glass blocks, ink, paper, and oil paint.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PIECE IN THIS SHORT VIDEO
Artist Statement
Building off the notion of walls, and how they serve to protect and safeguard, I conceived this installation as a way to represent the fused reality of my hybrid existence. The piece is meant to link together the equally rich, but often diametrically opposed cultures of the Eastern and Western worlds.
I choose glass blocks for the exterior of this piece, as they are commonplace here in Chicago – my new home since moving here from Dubai in 2012. They speak to the architectural significance and wonder of this great city. And they present a nice, polished façade – much like many of us try to do in daily life. Yet their transparency allows the viewer to get a suggestive glimpse at what lies beneath.
While the overall color palette speaks to American patriotism, and my new home - what’s imbedded between the exterior panels is what speaks to my core. As a child, my parents would read to me the poetry of Rumi, which to this day remains a large part of my soul. I like to think his words whisper through these foreign walls to the viewer – conveying a universal and timeless message.
Special thanks to:-
- Sergio Gomez for having this piece on the exhibit and for the video
- David Mugra for writing this amazing artist statement on this piece
- Mohsen Kamza for adding music to the video
- Song title - Elements by Lindsey Stirling