Imagined Boundaries (Living Series)
Multimedia Installation, Ongoing sine 2017
Imagined Boundaries has been an ongoing episodic project since 2017 and attempts to put a lens on boundaries that exist at all levels: locally, nationally, and globally. In each of the episodes the artist and immigrant questions the myriad divisions which exist between us. This long-term project challenges viewers to set aside preconceptions about others, summon the courage to move beyond awareness to engagement, and recognize the humanity in us all.
The project draws inspiration from the Safa khaneh (House of Friendship), one of the first interfaith centers in the world, established in Isfahan in the early 20th century (c. 1902–1905), and the music room in the Alighapou Palace (16th–17th century), noted for its intricate carved forms. Alighapou Palace is located close to the Safa khaneh, which actively promoted the concept of interfaith and intercultural dialog at the beginning of the 20th century, bringing Christians and Muslims together to find a common ground in their practices.
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 1
Friday, October 6, 2017, Holliwood Center, Hollywood, FL, USA and Abad Gallery, Tehran, Iran
The first Imagined Boundaries episode focused on the establishment of a cultural relationship between Iran and the United States. Two parallel art shows—one in Iran and the other in the United States—opened simultaneously in a coordinated effort to build a culture of communication through art. The work underscored the stark absence of political diplomacy and meaningful conversation between the two nations for decades, offering art as a rare space where dialogue could still occur.
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 2 — Alert! Miscommunication
The second episode was exhibited in 2019. Created at a moment when the United States felt sharply divided, this episode turns the lens inward and invites Americans to look at one another with the same directness and curiosity used in the project’s first international exchange. Participants were asked to face the camera and project themselves beyond the limits of physical space, political rhetoric, and social tension. Through this silent act of reciprocal looking, the work questions what a border is, how far our vision can reach, and whether we can see beyond our own assumptions. At its core, the episode is a call for communication in a time when miscommunication dominated public life.
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 3 — Through the Eye of Past and Present
The third episode was created in Charleston for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Gibbes Museum of Art (founded 1905). This work enters into a direct visual conversation with the 18th-century miniature portraits painted by Charles Fraser (1782–1860), extending the project’s ongoing interest in crossing not only geographic and cultural boundaries but temporal ones as well. By bringing contemporary Charleston residents into dialogue with faces from the past, the episode opens spaces for curiosity and reflection. It captures the deep cultural, social, religious, and racial diversity of the southern United States while providing a space for the representation of those historically underrepresented and excluded from museum narratives.
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 4 — A New Vision
The fourth episode has been recently created for the opening of the new Ismaili Center in Houston (December 2025). In this iteration, the faces within the boxes belong to members and civil society partners of the Ismaili community across the United States. In this context, the notion of community is defined by more than faith alone. It includes multifaith spouses, civil society collaborators, and friends who share a common spirit of service and belonging. The individuals include educators, healthcare workers, volunteers, firefighters, police officers, and members of nonprofit organizations who together shape the fabric of the community.
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 4 — A New Vision, Ismaili Center, Houston, Tx 2025
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 4 — A New Vision, Ismaili Center, Houston, Tx 2025
Imagined Boundaries: Episode 5 — Collective Chorus
The fifth episode, has been created for the opening of the exhibition In Her Place at the Frist Art Museum on January 29, 2026. This work focuses on Nashville’s music community—musicians, singers, luthiers, poets, and songwriters, many of whom are immigrants or members of historically marginalized groups. The videos are soundless portraits: the artists appear through custom-shaped cut-outs, gazing silently at the viewer, then disappearing to allow another face to emerge. Some of the cut-outs remain empty, referencing the gaps and silences that persist in the cultural record. This episode highlights the contributions of those who shape the city’s identity yet are not always seen within its dominant narratives.
Coming soon
Coming soon