Still image: ICE, 2026, 4K, Duration: 15 minutes
In ICE, eating functions both as an act of survival and domination, but transforms into pain as I consume ice. The work reflects on migration, where self-care can shift into self-punishment, enduring hardship, distance, and longing in pursuit of education, stability, or safety. I am also interested in the question of agency: by placing the ice in my own mouth, I gesture toward the choice to remain despite restrictive conditions and systemic barriers. The audio combines recordings from January protests in Iran, including gunshots, chanting slogans, and screams, with calming meditation music.
In ICE, eating functions both as an act of survival and domination, but transforms into pain as I consume ice. The work reflects on migration, where self-care can shift into self-punishment, enduring hardship, distance, and longing in pursuit of education, stability, or safety. I am also interested in the question of agency: by placing the ice in my own mouth, I gesture toward the choice to remain despite restrictive conditions and systemic barriers. The audio combines recordings from January protests in Iran, including gunshots, chanting slogans, and screams, with calming meditation music.