Jam-e Jam

Jam-e Jam

Jam-e Jam is an interactive installation that critiques how media narratives shape perceptions of cultural identity, marginalization, and “the other.” Drawing inspiration from the Persian myth of the cup of Jamshid—a mystical artifact revealing universal truths—it examines how power and knowledge are intertwined, privileging certain perspectives while silencing others. The project questions who control media narratives, who benefits from cultural misunderstandings, and how these systems influence political and sociocultural hierarchies.

Audiences engage by selecting transparent acrylic cards featuring images from media archives—cultural, political, and social events in Iran and the United States. As light moves through these cards, participants’ hand gestures create abstract layouts that overlay these narratives, symbolizing the intersections of histories and shared human struggles. The mirrored surface of the installation implicates viewers in the systems they critique, encouraging reflection on their role in perpetuating or resisting exclusionary narratives.

Rooted in Foucault’s notion of power-knowledge, Jam e Jam critiques how media functions as a tool of influence, privileging dominant cultural frameworks while marginalizing others.[1] By exposing overlooked stories, the installation challenges viewers to rethink divisions perpetuated by incomplete or biased representations. Like Benjamin Schmidt’s critique of colonial visual systems, Jam e Jam interrogates how media constructs trust and misunderstanding, turning knowledge into a commodity of power.[2]

This project encourages audiences to question how media archives shape cultural memory and identity. Through participatory and educational design, Jam e Jam fosters empathy and underscores common human experiences, challenging viewers to envision a more equitable future rooted in shared understanding.

[1] Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New York: Vintage Books, 1977), 136–141.

[2] Benjamin Schmidt, “Mapping an Exotic World: The Global Project of Dutch Cartography, Circa 1700,” in Empires of Vision: A Reader, ed. Martin Jay and Sumathi Ramaswamy (Durham: Duke University Press, 2013), 32–35.

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