Video Works
Video Works
I AM JOHN GALT
I AM JOHN GALT, 2013
Single channel video
The video "I Am John Galt" derives its name from an individual who has become symbolic for individualism, opposition, and withdrawal from dominant social systems. The reference to the character in the video, however, does not occur through narration but through the performance of presence.
The character appears in a reduced and controlled space and performs a movement between assertion and ambiguity. The reference to the character does not occur through explanation but through the creation of tension between visibility and invisibility. The character’s identity is revealed to be performed and not given, and it occurs through the character’s posture, timing, and action.
The video continues Entekhabi’s exploration of constructed identities but now focuses on the character’s identity as a state rather than as a socially coded stereotype. The character does not represent a type but a state of opposition within a system of expectation.
The video’s refusal to resolve the character’s reference and projection also creates a space for the viewer in which to consider the instability of meaning. The character performs a state of ambiguity and uncertainty between reference and projection.
Exhibitions & Screenings (selection)
2016: Mr. President, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran