performance art, 2017, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, Iran

“Alavi carried out a performance in Tehran in 2017 that drew attention to the otherness attitude towards the many first and second (even third) generation of migrants from Afghanistan in Iran who cannot be donors of blood and also they cannot be organ donors.

In the performance, ‘rag’, meaning ‘vein’ in Persian, Alavi has a qualified nurse in the gallery drawing blood from Alavi himself and other willing visitors, who include a mix of Iranian and Afghanistanis. No one can distinguish which blood sample was from an Iranian donor or otherwise. The blood is placed in plastic pouches and is hung on the wall along a straight line.

Alavi also has a block of ice in the gallery. He makes pockets in the ice and pours in the blood from an Iranian donor in one and from an Afghanistani donor in the other. The ice melts. The blood flows with the melted ice on the floor. “ - text by Arman FR