Resonant Traces — Milad Mozari

Resonant Traces (2018)
In colloaboration with Mitsu Salmon
Multimedia installation (collected objects, radio transmitter and acrylic)

The installation as space is a convergence of objects (present and non-present), and their shadows that are illuminated through video. Through the interaction with the objects, images and sounds specific to the history of botany, family history, and its complexities, the audience is immersed in the shadows of the installation, and hence the archive. The color space of the room, which the shadows are simulated through green screen video, change color which draws parallels to the history of the items such as white for orchids, red for fire, blue for cyanotypes and orange for sunrise and sunset. Taking form as an installation, the prominent collected materials and images were generously loaned from the Taipei Botanical Gardens and the Taiwan Forestry Institute, which Salmon’s great-grandfather founded. The installation was developed and supported by the Taipei Artist Village in Taipei, Taiwan.

Written by Hsiang-Wen Chen
The project in Taiwan of artist group Mitsu Salmon and Milad Mozari was inspired by Mitsu’s great-grandfather Ryozo Kanehira, who was one of the prominent botanists in Taiwan during the Japanese Reign. Ryozo Kanehira once served as the head of the Forestry Department at the Central Research Institute of Taiwan Governor-General and traveled on several occasions to Nanyang (Malay archipelago) for inspection. Ryozo Kanehira introduced rainforest species into Taiwan and constructed a foundation for forestry research in Taiwan; he also expanded the displays of the Herbarium at the Forestry Department (currently the Herbarium of Taiwan Forestry Research Institute). Using different media, the artists refer to Mitsu’s personal family history and the developmental history of Taiwan, Japan and Nanyang, creating works that not only connect to personal memories but also the broader social and historical context. The combination of projection, sound, and objects represents the multiple layers of history while the lighting enables interaction between reality and the virtuality. As visitors enter the exhibition space, their shadows also become part of the work. This work expands closed personal memories into a platform that allows conversations.

Milad H. Mozari

^{Milad H. Mozari}