Past Exhibitions | The Box | Exhibitions

Illya Mousavijad

Between a Lost Home and a Losing Destination (2020–22)

Info & Tickets

Close-up animated image of five pistachio baklava scattered across a white dish with painted decoration in green and orange.

Aug 24, 2023–Oct 31, 2023

The Box

Free for all audiences

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Illya Mousavijad’s newest animation is a reflection on history, memory, and Iranian culture inspired by the tale of the magic carpet from One Thousand and One Nights.

Between a Lost Home and a Losing Destination explores exile and migration in the Iranian diaspora. Mousavijad uses computer-generated animation techniques to meticulously render objects from his home country of Iran, including rugs, dishes, and glassware. Alongside animated models of fresh Iranian fruits and food, these objects are placed on top of the rendered rugs. The objects dance around as the rug moves underneath, creating a surreal collision of memory and present reality.

The work is inspired by the story of the magic carpet from the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales One Thousand and One Nights, with the carpet representing both the means of transcending place and the experience of exile. By recreating the objects associated with family feasts in Iran, Mousavijad highlights how inaccessible his memories are from his current location in the United States and the constraints faced by family and friends in Iran. (6:50 mins., HD video)

IMAGE CAPTION
Between a Lost Home and a Losing Destination, courtesy of the artist.

More about the artist

Illya Mousavijad is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Isfahan, Iran. He received his BFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and his MFA from Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. His practice investigates exile and exile literature, border and identity politics, Middle Eastern history, and US and Iran relations. He works across varied media including installation, painting, video, and computer animation. He has collaborated with international artists of various disciplines and exhibited his work in Iran and the US. He is currently an assistant professor of art and technology at The Ohio State University. Read more about the artist.

Tag(s)

EXHIBITION SEASON MADE POSSIBLE BY
Bill and Sheila Lambert
Carol and David Aronowitz
Crane Family Foundation
Mike and Paige Crane

FREE GALLERIES MADE POSSIBLE BY
American Electric Power Foundation
Mary and C. Robert Kidder
Bill and Sheila Lambert

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR FREE GALLERIES PROVIDED BY
Adam Flatto
CoverMyMeds
PNC Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Ohio Arts Council
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
Bruce and Joy Soll
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate