Parnian Parvin

Migration of the Violets

Migration of the Violets is a performance that symbolizes the efforts of the immigrants toward self-expression and better communication in response to the Iranian poem "Migration of the Violets" by Mohammad Reza Shafiei Kadkani. The poem directly points out the homesickness and envy of an immigrant, by describing the nomadic state of violets in the year-end bazaars, and comparing them to how an immigrant wants to feel, but cannot. In this performance, I recreate one of the Iranian new year rituals which is the gathering of seven certain objects whose names commence with "S", each symbolizing something for the new year to come such as love, power, patience, etc. but use violets instead to prepare the seven ingredients, each in their own forms.