because they see the end in the beginning,
see peace in war, and friendliness in anger.
Bahaíuíllah
The Wayfarer's Journey: A Film Installation by Gita Farid
Interpreting ìThe Seven Valleys,î a mystical Bahaíi treatise on attaining spiritual fulfillment through detachment, artist Gita Faridís installation is inspired by the tale of a Eastern wayfarer, Majnun, on his quest to be reunited with his beloved, Layli, from whom he has been separated. Travelling through various metaphorical valleys, the wayfarer reaches a state of pure conscience and utter spiritual thrall, a realization that occurs at the end of his journey. A musical soundtrack that dramatically expresses the emotions of this non-narrated work accompanies the projected image.
About the Artist
Gita Farid received her BA from London College of Fashion, England, and went on to study at the New York Film Academy and with the Korean Independent Film Association. Her recent film and video projects include The Capture of a Mermaid, Perivision, The Businessmanís Proposal, and Papaís Got a Brand New Bag. This will be the artist's first museum project.
ASU Art Museum Presentation
Organized by John D. Spiak, The Wayfarer's Journey will be installed in the 2,400-square-foot Experimental Gallery of the Arizona State University Art Museum at Matthews Center. The work, originally shot in 16mm film, will be presented in video format.
Duration
The Wayfarer's Journey (February 23 - May 5, 2001) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Support
The exhibition at the Arizona State University Art Museum's Experimental Gallery at Matthews Center is supported in part by Friends of the Arizona State University Art Museum.
Project support for the artist provided by Alex Mitchell and Crew, Gary Bulkin of B & B Communications, CJís Film Studio, Reel Men Lighting Equipment, Vincent Pascoe and the Bahaíi Community of the Valley.
Suggested Reading
The Seven Valleys of Bahaíuíllah
This text is available on the Baha'i Academics Resource Library website.
Link to Images of the Project in Progress
Visit the following site to see images of the work in progress with stills from the location filming of The Wayfarer's Journey. There are four pages of images with the link starting on the fouth page. Use the arrow at the top right of the page to visit the other three pages. These images have been provided by John Kittelsrud.
Experimental Gallery Exhibitions
Past exhibitions at the ASU Art Museum's Experimental Gallery at Matthews Center include:
Dwelling: Video Installation by Corina Gamma
Screenshots: Digital Drawings by Jon Haddock
PHACAEANS: Desktop Video/Laptop Installation by Sloane McFarland
Club Extra: Installation/Performance by Angela Ellsworth
Bob Carey: Photographs by Bob Carey
Sig-alert: Group Exhibition of Los Angeles Artists
Physical Fiction: Electronic Installations by Sara Roberts
Mascaron de Proa: Installation/Performance by Daniel Wheeler
For more information contact John Spiak at spiak@asu.edu.
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