The Distance Is Real

2020-2025

The Distance Is Real examines my relationship with a small suburban industrial community in Tehran's outskirts, which I've been living in for the past ten years.

Formed around a river, the town was mostly fruit gardens and the inhabitants were farmers. Slowly it shifted to an industrial town. The original population capacity was targeted to be ten thousand, but now it supports over eighteen thousand, who are mostly migrants in search of work.

Outside of the town's industrial core, the suburb is still surrounded by mountains and a river that supplies part of Tehran's drinking water. Since the Latyan Dam was built on the Jajrud river, the water flow has shrunk to a narrow, muddy stream.

The living situation I'm experiencing/witnessing here is the result of the system's most incompetent policies on a small scale. People are resisting them by keeping their individuality and way of life. I believe for most of us, Iranians, to simply exist is an act of resistance.

As I evolve with the project I am becoming more and more aware of a distance between myself and the people. Then, I identify gender inequality to be the main cause of this distance. And It  helped me to come out of my safe space (my home) and try to confront people from a closer distance. However, I am yet to fully embody the realizations I have had.

I feel closer to people by heart but I'm still in search of my own lost identity.