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Timo Nasseri / Germany b.1972 / Epistrophy VI 2012 / Polished stainless steel / 255 x 222 x 84cm / Purchased 2012 with funds from Tim Fairfax, AM, through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Timo Nasseri
Timo NasseriEpistrophy VI 2012
Not Currently on Display
Made from highly-polished stainless steel, Epistrophy VI refers to muqarnas, the elaborate sculptural forms used as decorative devices in traditional Islamic and Persian architecture, particularly on the interior of domed ceilings.
Both the viewer’s reflection and the reflection of the gallery space are fragmented to become part of the artwork. Timo Nasseri has recreated the experience of the muqarnas, which may be said to contain an entire universe of possible forms.
Born in Berlin to a German mother and an Iranian father, Timo Nasseri studied photography between 1994 and 1997. Although he began his career as a photographer, in recent years, he has systematically built a sculptural oeuvre.
Since the early 2000s, he has exhibited in Lebanon and extensively throughout Europe. In his art, Nasseri blends two formative influences — Islamic traditions and Western culture.
Discussion Questions
1. How does Epistrophy VI give you a sense of being a part of the artwork? Explain your answer.
2. Why has the artist used reflective surfaces in this work?
Activities
1. Investigate the ways paper can be used to create three-dimensional objects, as well as experiment with making your own paper sculptures. Consider how to best display your sculptures; for example, they could be placed on a mirrored surface. Think about how viewers/audiences will interact with your artwork.
2. Research different paper-folding and scoring techniques (i.e. not origami patterns). Manipulate an ordinary piece of white paper by folding and scoring, so it is transformed into a three-dimensional artwork.