The project draws upon nearly a decade of archival research into Persian garden design, botany and geopolitics as well as the writings of Donald Wilber, a scholar of Persian architecture later revealed to be the CIA operative behind the 1953 coup to overthrow the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who sought to nationalise the British Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. The work mediates the artist’s archival research and parallel narratives in the historical construction of the Iranian landscape through a set of six etchings that rhythmically wipe, erase and rebuild layers of data. This series of work seeks to reclaim these documents which were heavily redacted.

Declassified is a part of Sharjah Biennial 15: Thinking Historically in the Present
February 7 - June 11, 2023
Conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi → INSTALLATION VIEW

* Etchings works made possible by Syracuse University, School of Art, Alpert Visiting Artist Fellowship, 2022