Mortelle
Aim and objectives
To raise awareness of the Iranian women's movement.
To create an installation inspired by Christopher Frank's book Mortelle
Visualize a woman experiencing daily interactions with everyday objects and the challenges she faces with self-reflection.
to make audiences identify with Iranian women
Mortelle by Christopher Frank was first published in 1972. This book reflects the pain one might suffer in a society without individualism. This book reveals how painful a smile can be if it is forced. How ugly transparency can be when glass walls are forced.
How does it feel to be treated without considering our individualities? In a society where rules put everyone in a single category and anyone who denies these written social rules will be punished. In this society there is no equality in the true meaning, equality is abused. Although there is no individuality, in the background the society is divided into two groups of the majority who are ruled by the minority, the question is do this minority believe there is no such thing as individuality, or do they know but only for the sake of benefit and their advantages? They use non-individualism as a tool to control people and dominate them. Moreover, there are individuals in the first group who do not basically believe in a particular group, but they have no other choice!
How can people live in a society and benefit while their realities must be hidden behind all smiles talk, interaction, every feeling even every look? In the book the kite runner by Khaled Hosseini, when the main character gets back to Kabul his friend told him to be careful! never look into Taliban people’s eyes directly, they get suspicious about you.
The story has a romance side as well, but it does not affect the main theme.
Mortelle is a story about a society where values are shared. Everyone must smile at each other, and if anyone fails to do so, they must undergo surgery. Then a mask is placed on his face that cannot be removed, and after a while it is absorbed by his face and remains the same. They must tell funny stories each other, if anyone tells a tragic story., are immediately sent to reform.
Totalitarianism is the dominant system.
its geography is well drawn: “a vast plain covered in tar, with a black cloud covering the surface on hot days. In the story, houses have walls of glass, and the city is lit with lights, as bad is in the dark”
When you are a female in Iran, every morning before you leave home you look in the mirror to make sure you look good, but not the way you want, you get dressed in how the regime, rules expect you to be, and what to wear. You cover your hair, but it is a long time since you do not even ask why, when you are & a year old the first day in school is the first day you officially wear a hijab. It is difficult and irritating; you are not used to it wearing long hours ahead scarf. Next year, next year, you get used to it and one day you know it is impossible to leave home without it. Even sound funny!!
Day by day you better learn how you should and are expected to look. As if you see yourself through the eyes of others, you see those rules and expectations not yourself.
