[ISEA2017] Artists Statement: Ari Gold & Arya Ghavamian — I Love You, Keep Going

Artists Statement 

Screening/’Media Art’ Piece

I Love You, Keep Going was born in a heavy traffic jam in California. I wondered if it might be possible to invoke a story about nature, and my country’s addiction to oil, in such a way that an
audience could feel these opposing forces in their bodies rather than simply their minds. Working with Iranian film editor Arya Ghavamian, whose nation’s history is entwined with oil, I created three looping films which invite the visitors to mount bicycles and “change the story.”
In Chapter One, where nobody bikes, the oil industry destroys the heart of the world. In
Chapter Two, where one person rides, the fear of death and destruction are activated. In Chapter Three, where multiple cyclists join forces, transcendence and harmony with nature
become possible. Viewers may passively watch the world’s destruction, or become part of the
story and change the future.

  • Ari Gold, USA
  • Arya Ghavamian, Iran