Event 3



For this week's event, I attended Sholeh Asgary’s Qanat at the California Nanosystems Institute building on the UCLA campus. Without conducting prior research on the gallery's content, I was surprised upon entering a very dark room. 



Upon entering the room, to the left was an informational stand that gave me additional information about the gallery. “Sholeh Asgary’s Qanat is an interactive sound and light installation named after the ancient Iranian underground water channel system.” (UCLA Art). I noticed a traditional Iranian rug in the middle, which had a microphone above it, capturing the sound of a water droplet. Furthermore, I learned that the noise coming out of the microphone would alter depending on how I was positioned on the rug. “Visitors are invited to sit, lie, or stand on the rug, affecting the transmission of sound throughout the space.” (Atmosphere of Sound). 



I found this quite fascinating, that however I positioned myself on the rug, it would alter the noise that was amplified throughout the room. I also found out that Sholeh Asgary’s work also all revolved around the idea of manipulating the sounds and noise depending on the space and medium “...works implicate the viewer-participant in future mythological excavations, bridging large swathes of time and history through water, water clocks, crude oil, movement, light, imaging, voice, and sound.” (Headlands Center for the Arts)




Sources:

UCLA Art | Sci Center + Lab. "Qanat by Sholeh Asgary." UCLA Art | Sci Center + Lab, 2025, https://artsci.ucla.edu/node/1801

Atmosphere of Sound. "Qanat." Atmosphere of Sound, 2025, https://soundofatmosphere.com/event/qanat/

Headlands Center for the Arts. “Sholeh Asgary.” Headlands Center for the Arts, https://www.headlands.org/artist/sholeh-asgary/


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