Man-made Objects [اشیا مصنوع] is a one-night, site-specific installation set in a glass-melting workshop outside Tehran. This project explores the intersection of culture and nature through the transformative medium of glass—a material born from silica, sodium carbonate, and calcium oxide, yet entirely absent in raw form from nature. By employing glass as a hybrid object, I evoke Bruno Latour’s concept of the Anthropocene, where human and non-human elements merge.
The piece draws inspiration from pre-Socrates philosophy’s view of fundamental elements in cosmic creation, linking earth, fire, air, and water to the alchemy of glass production. The darkness within the installation becomes a symbol of withdrawal and the unknown, inviting speculation about the nature of reality.
Audience participation is central to this work. Viewers explore the space individually, navigating an unfamiliar environment where their vulnerability and curiosity shape their experience. In this setting, the audience transcends the role of passive observer, becoming an active participant in an evolving, unpredictable encounter.
Through this installation, I invite the audience to confront the boundaries between the natural and the artificial, order and chaos, known and unknown, while positioning themselves within the broader continuum of creation, destruction, and transformation.