Ancient Future: An Immersive Solo Exhibition By Amir Aziz

Date and time

Opening Night:

Nov. 29, 20204 5-8PM

Gallery Hours:

Nov. 30 - Dec. 20, 2024

(Mon-Sat, 11AM-6PM)

RSVPs are appreciated.

About Ancient Future

Ancient Future, an immersive solo exhibition by Amir Aziz, draws on his fascination with the ancient history of his homeland and his diverse heritage. He blends these influences with a vision of technological futurism through an array of digital techniques. The constructed or re-imagined histories in his work reflect his experience as an Iranian-Canadian artist and his profound interest in studying the histories of these lands, particularly by exploring their architecture and artifacts of daily life.

Aziz’s multidisciplinary practice combines digital art, vector illustration, motion graphics, interactive and 3D design, sculptural jewelry, fabrication technology, and immersive media. His work explores the intersection of art, perception, and technology, while honoring sacred traditions and world cultures. Known for his unique three-dimensional acrylic artworks, he employs both traditional and digital mediums to delve into the convergence of perception and aesthetics, examining the meeting point of emerging technologies and transcendental culture.

Ancient Future invites viewers to reflect on the narratives, myths, and symbols we embed in our technologies to shape the worlds of tomorrow, which we entrust to future generations. Audiences are encouraged to consider their own role in the flow of history, recognizing that we are both the descendants of the past and the ancestors of the future, shaping perception with our words and wisdom.

Artist’s Statement:

The Mundus Imaginalis (creative imagination) is a visionary and spiritual faculty of perception. It is the place where art - and the future - is called into being. as a technologically driven artist, the wonder and trepidation with which we collectively adopt new technologies into society has always fascinated me. The writers of science fiction, the coders of algorithm, and the longing poets each - in their own way - draw something out from the wellspring of inspiration to carve out trajectories of our potential futures. What magic constituted the future technologies of the ancient past? What visions did our ancient ancestors carve out for us, that we may be here now blessed and plagued by these myriad of wonders. And perhaps most importantly, as we forge together into our collective future, what narratives, myths and symbols will we hardwire into our technologies to create these brave new worlds which we charge our descendants to steward.

This show is a meditation on these questions - an exploration of a cyclical experience of time - both personally and collectively. It is a love letter to the Iranian civilization and its incalculable role in imagining a holistic worldview through poetry, art and music. We have been here from antiquity, and we are still here. We are the descendants who are becoming ancestors, and we are coloring perception with our words and our magic.

Sound Design: Amir Aziz and Alvand Jalali

Animation Collaboration: Amir Tamadon and Amin Kasraian

This exhibition is proudly supported by VIVA Alliance and Quiet