“In light of the Arab Spring and ongoing censorship in the arts in the United States, despite its declaration of being ‘the land of the free,’ Taraneh Hemami uses Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ setting in the center of downtown San Francisco as a public platform to celebrate the open spirit of the city, while echoing the call for freedom that has risen across the globe. A neon sign with the word ‘free’— in both English and Arabic—repeated in a circle, acting as a chant or incantation, is the centerpiece of the design. The two intricate layered geometric patterns that surround the neon are inspired by Islamic decorative art, which itself refuses to adhere strictly to the rules of geometry. The relative freedom in the complex shapes echoes the circular call for liberty.” >>> Watch video 12 next › last » 
