Paper short abstract:

In the central core of the ancient city of Kerman is a fortress belonging to the Persian empire that, over time, turned into a giant dune. By creating an aesthetic form, Walking on Sol investigate and interweave the impact of the fortress’s history and myth on the region and the world.

Paper long abstract:

The story goes that 3,000 years ago, somewhere in Persia, the daughter of a poor family found a worm in an apple. Through the worm’s fortune, the family grew wealthy until they could assume royal power, built a fortress on top of a hill and transferred the worm there. The worm’s fortune made the fortress unassailable. King Ardeshir, the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, sent two armies to Kill the worm and destroy the fortress. The assassination of the worm is believed to have sealed a permanent curse on the city, which caused drought, and the city would eventually be destroyed.

The current view of the fortress does not relate much to the glorious Persian empire. Now it is a pile of dust. In contrast to the belief of many young residents of the region, who consider the fortress a giant dune, the elders and great-grandparents believe that it is the grave of a worm-like monster whose hatred has caused the city’s current situation, which is drought and scarcity.

Through a digitalized speculative aesthetic, Walking On Sol asks: what happens when disregarded beliefs and repressed regions are recalled and thought of differently? And by simulating an abstract 3D environment through digital software, the work asks: what aspects of the Future can be imagined and constructed by technology? By juxtaposing the digital and physical structure of the region, Walking On Sol intertwines an aesthetic form for the Future of the Past with the imagined Future.