WARS ARE NEVER FAIR, 2019

In August 2019, during a time of heightened military tensions between the U.S. and Iran, my daughter and I (an Iranian family), and our neighbors (an American family), decided to walk throughout New York City and visit several museums for two days. We used the public space and its social architecture to connect us from one point to another, from here to there.

On the first day, at the beginning of the piece, on the sidewalk near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we spray painted – WARS ARE NEVER FAIR – on our existing clothing. During the work, we would stand still in different places for 5 minutes and ask passers-by to take a photo of us either with their phone or our camera. At each five-minute stop, the furthest right and furthest left performers would leave their free hands open for the audience as an invitation to join the action.