Iranian artist Elahe Moonesi takes us on a journey through two decades of her dance performances in Iran while reflecting on her past works here in Montreal, where she now resides in exile. Through her stories, we learn about the struggles of being a female artist in Iran.
“Dancing the Resistance” is a two-channel video installation that depicts the contemporary experience of an Iranian performance and contemporary dance artist. This work aims to raise awareness about Iranian female artists and shed light on how they use dance as a form of political and cultural resistance. The installation explores the restrictions imposed on female bodies in public spaces and examines the strategies contemporary women dancers employ to represent their bodies while resisting the oppressive government restrictions in Iran.
This project incorporates heterochronicity into its framework. The ten-and-a-half-minute black-and-white video, features Elahe Moonesi sharing her two-decade experience as a contemporary dancer in Iran, discussing the limitations imposed on her creative expression. The video, recorded in 2023, showcases two cameras capturing Elahe Moonesi from different angles. On the right channel, Elahe is seated beside a television set, which provides a live feed of her profile, creating a unique effect with her gaze. Simultaneously, her past works are displayed on a larger HD television, evoking memories of her political resistance, choreography, and two decades of dancing in Iran. In contrast, the left channel features Elahe seated beside a small TV monitor, allowing viewers to observe her real-time reactions. This setup accentuates the contrast between Elahe’s archived performances in Iran on the left channel and the live recording of her interview on the right channel. Both channels are projected onto a perpendicular wall, encouraging active viewer engagement. The audio from Elahe on the right channel is meticulously synchronized, while the left channel intentionally lags by a few seconds. Over time, the synchronization gradually shifts to the left channel, creating the illusion of Elahe engaging in a dialogue with herself. As viewers, we are prompted to shift our attention to find the synchronized channel as it moves from one side to the other. This deliberate alteration immerses us in an engaging visual experience.
This innovative heterochronic two-channel video work offers fourfold visibility of the artist compared to conventional linear, talking-head interviews. Instead of directly depicting the challenging constraints faced by Iranian women in the realm of contemporary dance, this installation aims to raise awareness about women’s resistance in Iran. By authentically sharing the experiences of a female artist, this work amplifies the voices of countless Iranian women enduring similar situations, ensuring their collective struggles are heard.