Resource type
Date created
2023-05-02
Authors/Contributors
Author: Ahmadi Nejad, Amineh
Abstract
Publication of supplementary data files has been postponed at the author's request until 2024-12-31.
The video "Dancing in Azadi (Freedom)" portrays the resilience of the revolution's dancers through AI art. The video footage used in the installation is curated from the many videos of people dancing and women unveiling their scarves in public spaces, including the iconic Azadi Square in Tehran. The dancers represent a diverse range of marginalized bodies, including women, queer dancers, disabled bodies, Kurd and Baloch ethnic groups, and women wearing different levels of hijab representing various religious beliefs. The dancers' anonymity is protected for their safety, as some identified dancers have been arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for dancing for only ten seconds. The different dance styles showcased in the videos, from hip-hop to ballet, all unite in their demand for freedom.
The AI generative systems add a layer of illustration to the videos while maintaining the anonymity of the dancers for their safety. The illustrations depict protest scenes on the streets, violence inflicted by forces using gunfire against protesters, and a painterly effect, giving the impression of a dream-like reality.
The music used in the installation is a remix of the Grammy-award-winning song "Baraye" by Iranian singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour. The song was written based on public tweets of Iranians mentioning the injustice of the regime as motivation “for” this revolution, and their hopes and wishes “for” the Iran of tomorrow. The remix features the words “Baraye Azadi” (for freedom), resonating with the Azadi tower in the background and one of the main pillars of this revolution.
The video "Dancing in Azadi (Freedom)" portrays the resilience of the revolution's dancers through AI art. The video footage used in the installation is curated from the many videos of people dancing and women unveiling their scarves in public spaces, including the iconic Azadi Square in Tehran. The dancers represent a diverse range of marginalized bodies, including women, queer dancers, disabled bodies, Kurd and Baloch ethnic groups, and women wearing different levels of hijab representing various religious beliefs. The dancers' anonymity is protected for their safety, as some identified dancers have been arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for dancing for only ten seconds. The different dance styles showcased in the videos, from hip-hop to ballet, all unite in their demand for freedom.
The AI generative systems add a layer of illustration to the videos while maintaining the anonymity of the dancers for their safety. The illustrations depict protest scenes on the streets, violence inflicted by forces using gunfire against protesters, and a painterly effect, giving the impression of a dream-like reality.
The music used in the installation is a remix of the Grammy-award-winning song "Baraye" by Iranian singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour. The song was written based on public tweets of Iranians mentioning the injustice of the regime as motivation “for” this revolution, and their hopes and wishes “for” the Iran of tomorrow. The remix features the words “Baraye Azadi” (for freedom), resonating with the Azadi tower in the background and one of the main pillars of this revolution.
Extent
3 min 31 sec
Identifier
etd22733
Rights (standard)
Copyright statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Scholarly level
Ethics approval
None required
Collection period
2022-09 to 2022-12