Art, in all its forms, possesses an innate ability to stir up profound emotions. This potential is particularly evident in three-dimensional art, where the opportunity to engage with a work from multiple perspectives creates a more immersive experience. However, art that entirely envelops its audience and compels physical movement is relatively rare. This scarcity may be attributed to considerations of viewer comfort, as there is often a conscious effort to avoid creating experiences that could potentially cause vertigo or motion sickness. In Iran, where visual artists frequently contest conventional boundaries, the idea of an artwork that physically engages its audience is not so improbable. Mohsen Rafei’s kinetic installations are a prime example of this approach.
Born in 1982 in Mashhad, Rafei initially gravitated toward illustration and graphic design before transitioning to three-dimensional art. His academic studies at Tehran University of Art, beginning with a BA in sculpture and culminating in an MFA with a focus on art theory and philosophy, broadened his artistic viewpoint. This educational path inspired him to explore themes such as reuse, waste management, and notably, a form of disobedient art that challenges viewers through kinetic elements.
What sets Rafei apart from most of his contemporaries in Iran, especially those who focus on sculpture, conceptual art, or installation, is his deep and near-obsessive interest in the dynamism of movement. For Rafei, engaging with movement is not just an artistic choice but a conduit for revealing and articulating fresh perspectives on human existence. Rafei’s audiences are often plunged into moving structures that challenge their balance and perception of space. As they navigate spiral staircases that move in all directions, walk on wobbly curved paths, or sit on swinging surfaces, their bodies experience instability and disorientation. In his statement accompanying Lightwell (2020) at Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, Rafei explains that the work’s upward, spiraling path creates a challenging and disorienting experience for the viewer, effectively capturing the emotional sensation of being trapped and abandoned.
In a statement for the aptly titled Torment Room (2022) — an installation resembling a large birdcage suspended just fifty centimeters above the floor of an old building and sturdy enough to hold a person — Rafei describes the piece as a realm where fixed spaces fade and stability transforms into a fleeting illusion.
To bring his unique and technically demanding artistic visions to life, Rafei occasionally enlists with civil engineers and industrial designers as advisors or collaborators. But why go to such lengths to produce a work of art? What is the purpose behind these dynamic art objects? Why do they provoke movement, and what exactly is at stake in ushering visitors into a state of imbalance and disorientation?
At first glance, the works seem aimed at creating a distinctive experience for viewers, inviting them to briefly embrace a new outlook on their surroundings, much like the transformative effect of navigating Richard Serra’s monumental steel sculptures. However, encountering Rafei’s work frequently elicits unsettling emotions that exceed subtle physical reactions. He creates situations that confine visitors inside moving sculptures, where they might experience discomfort and find escape difficult. Some works require participants to invite others to join them in interacting with the artwork so as to achieve balance. For the eighth Tehran National Sculpture Biennial in 2020, Rafei unveiled an unstable stage made specifically for the corridors of the Vahdat Hall, a prominent setting for music performances in Tehran. The Vahdat Hall, initially known as the Roudaki Hall, was constructed in 1968 as a venue for classical music, opera, and ballet. Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, its management was transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. This transition has led to a focus on state-sanctioned performances on the hall’s main stage, a departure from the more experimental works favored by artists like Rafei.
By creating a setting that disrupts visitors’ balance, Rafei challenges the traditional passivity associated with audience engagement in formal settings. This intervention signified a shift in the artist’s work from observation to participation. It subtly suggested a desire to endow the audience with agency, transforming submissive viewers into active participants without explicitly addressing the venue’s historical context or broader societal issues in Iran. Titled Chandeliers, the artwork alluded to the building’s majestic light fixtures while symbolically spotlighting ordinary citizens and highlighting their ability to actively participate in shaping their destiny.
While this artwork possesses a subtle political commentary, others deliver their messages more directly.
Like many who came across Mohsen Rafei’s art for the first time, my initial introduction was through a series of news articles detailing the tragic tale of a 2019 piece titled Ja beh Ja (meaning “from place to place” or “shifting bench”), which sparked controversy at Tehran University of Art. Installed in the sculpture faculty’s historic quad in southern Tehran, this site-specific work featured a swinging bench and was designed to bring students together.
As participants adjusted their positions to maintain the bench’s balance, they found themselves engaging more deeply with one another, their laughter and interactions creating a vibrant and cooperative atmosphere. However, following the 2021 presidential elections, the university’s newly appointed administrators began to view expressions of joy and engagement less favorably. This change reflected a broader shift toward conservative governance that permeated educational institutions and organizations across the nation.
The new administration viewed Rafei’s shifting bench as a violation of the codes governing public behavior, especially in an educational setting. Despite Rafei’s attempts to argue his case, presenting all necessary approvals and emphasizing the piece’s site-specific nature, the authorities were unyielding. Without Rafei’s consent, the bench was clandestinely removed one night and moved to an undisclosed location.
The saga of the shifting bench at Tehran University of Art did not end with its removal; rather, it ignited a wave of frustration among students on campus. This discontent simmered until the 2022 uprising in Iran caught the world’s attention. The level of artistic activism that erupted at the university during this period astounded international observers. My conversations with many students and faculty members revealed that the narrative surrounding the bench, coupled with conflicts stemming from the new administration’s restrictive views on the role of art in academia, had ignited substantial artistic activism well before September 2022. Essentially, the seeds of artistic activism that flourished at the university during the height of the uprising had been sown much earlier.
While Ja beh Ja is unintentionally linked to the unsettling events of 2022, another piece by Rafei resonates more directly with the spirit and memory of the uprising and other resistance movements.
In November 2023, Rafei and artist Ali Seyed Alikhani presented works in the joint exhibition In-between at Tehran’s Bostan Gallery. Two kinetic pieces by Rafei offered a nuanced homage to Iranian resistance efforts, especially those that unfolded between 2017 and 2022.
Outside the entrance to the gallery, visitors encountered Rafei’s dynamic installation Hejleh, which drew inspiration from the traditional hejleh or tabaq, a memorial structure often seen in religious ceremonies and used to honor the deceased, especially young individuals. Such structures were a common sight in Tehran in the 1980s, commemorating young men who had lost their lives in the Iran–Iraq war.
Rafei’s innovative interpretation of the hejleh introduced a new dimension to commemoration. Stairs that shifted underfoot as visitors climbed merged physical instability with a tribute to those individuals who have made a stand, fought, and even risked their lives.
Adjacent to the gallery, atop a utility box, stood Rafei’s second piece, Jaygah (Pedestal). This installation featured three fluctuating, noise-producing arches, which created a soundscape that at times harmonized with nearby church bells, crafting a multifaceted urban symphony. Echoing the somber tolling of church bells in remembrance of the departed, Jaygah (Pedestal) likewise resounded as a tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives. The work’s placement mirrored an act of resistance by a young woman who, in 2017, stood atop a utility box and waved her white scarf in a defiant protest against the mandatory hijab. The top of the utility box on Enghelab (Revolution) Street, where this brave woman made her stand, has since been roofed over to prevent similar acts of defiance, a modification that underscores its newfound political importance. Today, interacting with a utility box in Iran is often understood as a gesture of solidarity with the women protestors known as the Girls of Enghelab (Revolution) Street.
Together, Rafei’s installations at Bostan Gallery presented a nuanced yet deeply meaningful tribute to the struggles and endurance of Iran’s resistance movements. Additionally, they immersed visitors in a liminal space, evoking the state of suspension that Iranians experience between uprisings.
Rafei’s art, echoing the spirit of his contemporaries, frequently manifests as site-specific installations that appear in unconventional spaces and intertwine with the pulse of everyday acts of resistance. Through works designed to captivate a broader audience beyond traditional art enthusiasts and gallerygoers, Rafei skillfully navigates between delivering bold, provocative messages and exploring more nuanced, understated themes. This dexterous approach is complemented by the modular and portable design of each work, ensuring it can be effortlessly assembled, disassembled, and relocated. This adaptability is a direct response to the forced removal of Ja beh Ja from the quad at Tehran Art University. As a result, Rafei now makes works that transmit their presence and message through mobility. If one site rejects a piece, a new home can be found elsewhere, thus ensuring its perpetual existence. Mirroring the extensive range of resistance movements in Iran, Rafei’s art is characterized by its resilience and dynamism. It transitions from one urban setting to the next, adapting and transforming with each new iteration.
Pamela Karimi, “Kinetic Confrontations,” in mohit.art NOTES #10 (April/May 2024); published on www.mohit.art, April 5, 2024.
