BABAK AHTESHAMIPOUR
THE NEO AVANT-GARDE
MARCH 19-26 2023/19-26 MARZO 2022 (ONLINE)
Introduced by/Introdotto da Matteo Bittanti
IN SEARCH OF THE BANNED DICTIONARIES THAT CONTAIN THE WORDS FOR THE THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD EXPRESS BUT YOU ARE UNABLE TO WITH COMMON WORDS
digital video/machinima, color, sound, 9’ 16”, Iran/Greece, 2022
World of Warcraft, uno dei più popolari giochi di ruolo multigiocatore di massa di tutti i tempi, è stato appropriato, dirottato e riadattato da Babak Ahteshamipour per In Search of the Banned Dictionaries that contain the Words for the Things You Wish you could Express but You are Unable to With Common Words (2022). Frutto di una lunga fase di produzione, iniziata con la creazione di un alter ego - uno Stregone Elfo del Sangue che è stato poi “evoluto” attraverso un processo di livellamento - il video è in parte documentazione e in parte espressione di sé. Una procedura così complicata e lunga è stata necessaria affinché l'avatar dell'artista potesse accedere a tutte le aree del gioco, in modo che il giocatore-regista potesse esplorare diversi scenari, regioni e dungeon e catturare i filmati salienti.
World of Warcraft, one of the most popular massively multiplayer role playing games of all time, has been appropriated, hijacked, and repurposed by Babak Ahteshamipour for In Search of the Banned Dictionaries that contain the Words for the Things You Wish you could Express but You are Unable to With Common Words (2022). The outcome of an extended production phase which began with the creation of an alter ego — a Blood Elf Warlock which was then “evolved” through a process leveling up — the video is equal parts documentation and self expression. Such a complicated and time-consuming procedure was necessary for the artist’s avatar to access all the areas of the game, so that the player-director could explore different scenarios, regions, and dungeons, and capture the salient footage.
L’ARTISTA
La pratica di Babak Ahteshamipour si basa sulla collisione tra virtuale e reale, con l’obiettivo di mettere in relazione vari argomenti a prima vista non direttamente collegati, dal cyberspazio all’ecologia, dalla politica all’identità, esplorandoli attraverso MMORPG/videogiochi, social media e integrando online i temi della coesistenza e della simultaneità in risposta alla futuristica spinta antropocentrica della tecnocrazia a concentrarsi sul postumanesimo. Ha esposto e suonato al Centre Pompidou (Parigi, Francia), New Art City (online), The Wrong (online), Sub Rosa space (Atene, Grecia), ERGO Collective (Atene, Grecia), arebyte (online), Biquini Wax ESP (Città del Messico, Messico), Experimental Sound Studio (Chicago, Illinois) e altrove. Ha pubblicato musica con l’etichetta indipendente Industrial Coast e la sua musica è stata trasmessa da stazioni radiofoniche come Noods Radio (Bristol, Regno Unito), Radio Raheem (Milano, Italia), Fade Radio (Atene, Grecia) e Radio alHara. Originario dell'Iran, Ahteshamipour vive e lavora ad Atene, in Grecia.
THE ARTIST
Babak Ahteshamipour’s practice is based on the collision of the virtual vs actual, aimed at correlating various topics that are not directly connected at first glance from cyberspace to ecology and politics to identity exploring them via MMORPGs/video games, social media and online integrating themes of co-existence and simultaneity in response to the futuristic anthropocentric urge of technocracy to focus on posthumanism. He has exhibited and performed at Centre Pompidou (Paris, France), New Art City (online), The Wrong (online), Sub Rosa space (Athens, Greece), ERGO Collective (Athens, Greece), arebyte (online), Biquini Wax ESP (Mexico City, Mexico), Experimental Sound Studio (Chicago, Illinois) and elsewhere. He has released music on the independent cassette label Industrial Coast and his music has been played on radio stations such as Noods Radio (Bristol, U.K.), Radio Raheem (Milan, Italy), Fade Radio (Athens, Greece) and Radio alHara. Originally from Iran, Ahteshamipour lives and works in Athens, Greece.
IN SEARCH OF THE BANNED DICTIONARIES THAT CONTAIN THE WORDS FOR THE THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD EXPRESS BUT YOU ARE UNABLE TO WITH COMMON WORDS
digital video/machinima, color, sound, 9’ 16”, Iran/Greece, 2022
Made with World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment, 2004)
