Ali Ettehad is a director, writer, visual and performing artist. He is also an art critic whose articles have been published in many international newspapers and magazines.
Ettehad’s main body of works is RAZVARZI series (from 2007 till now) including video-art, digital media, book, installation, performance art, theater, music and film.
His works are mostly research based and focused on the middle-eastern mysticism and old Persian philosophy. One can find different symbols and elements that come from mythological realm of middle-east in Ali Ettehad’s oeuvre; from Mesopotamia to Cashmere.
Heirs of Saffron and Salt is a documentary series researched and directed by Ali Ettehad. This series is a visual ethnographic project with the goal to preserve and showcase in high video quality the performative and musical heritage of the greater Iran, including but not limited to the current political borders or Iran and many neighboring regions.
Between 2002 and 2003, Ettehad, during his travels across Iran, recorded videos of domes, fountains, tile-work, weavings, colorful Iranian fabrics, inscriptions, and ancient historical texts. These images were eventually placed within a kaleidoscope, and the output transformed into an analog video. This video was showcased on a vintage television. Decorative elements from Iranian ritualistic traditions were added to the video. This video art was first exhibited in Tehran in 2004.
Digital painting, digital print of textile “Whence doth the good commence? Where lays the border separating the observer I and the subject of Evil? Till when will thine celestial headsprings seethe? Wherefore is my wickedness eternal? Who made thy purdahs? Who was the one who made my image? Up to where will my steps, bare or with leggings, come towards thee and up to where back towards me?” “pardeh” refers to different meanings in Farsi; it could be interpreted as