With Morehshin Allahyari

I choose the medium that fits the project best. I work primarily with time-based media, digital fabrication, specifically 3D printing, and processes like 3D scanning and 3D simulation, which have been an important part of my process. Creative writing is also a significant component of my work.

In the past eight years, my practice has focused on the nonbinary relationship between history and technology, wherein history is not considered to be the past and technology is not considered to be the future. Through archival practices and storytelling, my work weaves together complex counternarratives in opposition to the lasting influence of Western technological colonialism in the context of SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa).

When I began the Eyebeam research residency in 2016, I had just begun working on She Who Sees the Unknown , which became a five-year project. The project, which looks at female or genderless monsters and Jinn in the mythology of Persian and Arabic origin, involved studying rare manuscripts, researching, and gathering material. For five main figures, I created a 3D-printed sculptural element, an installation, and a written story connecting their mythological power to something in contemporary life or an alternative future. The project also had public events and performances. As a Rapid Response fellow, I worked on the archival aspect of this project while continuing to question digital colonialism and how we can give access to knowledge while also protecting it from colonial powers.