diegetic. as witnessed

diegetic. as witnessed
by Niknaz Tavakolian 

chashama 1351
1351 Amsterdam Avenue
(between 125th & 126th St.) 
New York, NY 

November 16 - December 16, 2012

November 16 - 25, call for subjects
November 28 - December 16, projections 

Projection Hours: 
Wednesday - Saturday, Dusk - Dawn 

Closing Reception:
Friday, December 14

diegetic. as witnessed is a site-specific interactive video projection where movement on the street triggers the gaze of a large-scale video portrait on the storefront window. Since the space is in transition, between what was once there to what soon will be, I want to use this flux as a means to reflect on the idea of change. I invite people who have lived in the community for 20+ years to sit as the video portraits, as those who have watched and witnessed this neighborhood’s ebb and flow. A website with an interview per person will accompany the show. Once the projections go up, those neighborhood legacy carriers will watch over Amsterdam Ave, creating a narrative of movement, familiarity and community.

Website for the project: http://www.niknaz.net/harlem

Artist Bio:
Niknaz Tavakolian is an electronic and interactive artist who uses non-traditional communication strategies to convey ideas of intersubjectivity and liminality in identity. Born in Tehran, Iran and raised in the Untied States, they (used as a gender-free pronoun) have had two solo exhibitions, participated in many group exhibitions, projected live video all over the city as well as collaborated on community arts projects. Most recently, Niknaz was invited to film the festival trailer for the MIX Festival of Queer Experimental Cinema and has also been seen collaborating with a media-rich experimental dance piece at Dixon Place. Niknaz holds a BA in Film and the Media Arts from Temple University and an MFA in Visual Arts from York University in Toronto. Niknaz currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.