Ghazal MajidiIR/CA
Ghazal Majidi (b. 1995) is a filmmaker and new media artist from Tehran, currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Her body of work spans across the fields of 3D animation, VR, AR, video art, and film. In her work she examines the co-existance of extremes: that of the digital with the physical, the absurd with the sensible, and the mundane with the extraordinary. Through alternative narratives, she explores the properties of objects and spaces and their transmutation. Her works have been premiered in film festivals and galleries in United States, Germany, Iran, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Spain, and more including Vienna Shorts, Brussels International Film Festival, and Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin.
Paralax is an interactive augmented reality installation exploring the complex and at times conflicting dynamic between the artist, their artistic creation, and the viewership. The artist assumes a contemplative stance, aiming for an objective evaluation of the art-making process and acknowledging the inherent vulnerability upon which her artworks thrive. In pursuit of authenticity and allure, the system aims to expose the artist further.
This immersive encounter offers a personalized interpretation of the Milgram Experiment conducted during the early 1960s, elaborating on the dynamics of obedience and disruption. Departing from the conventional scenario of a conductor commanding participants to administer electric shocks, akin to the Milgram Experiment, the artwork assumes this role by enticing the audience through interactive means. Conditional to the audience's proximity to the avatar, electric shocks are triggered accordingly, compelling the avatar to accelerate in response. The velocity of the avatar's movement on the hamster wheel is reflected in the luminous intensity emanating from the plasma globe, dynamically reacting to the audience's distance from the virtual piece.