Fereshteh Toosi- Solar Salutations | A/A - Online

Fereshteh Toosi designs experiences and art objects that pose questions and foster animistic connections. Their artwork often involves documentary processes, oral history, and archival research. Immersive performances are produced in conjunction with small sculptures, short films, installations, scores, and poetry, often situated in gardens, parks, and waterways.

In 2022, Fereshteh developed an augmented-reality audio experience for the Independence Seaport Museum with support from the University of Pennsylvania’s Program in Environmental Humanities. In 2021, they participated in the Montréal/Miami New Narratives Lab hosted by the National Film Board of Canada, O Cinema, MUTEK, and FilmGate Interactive. They also earned a Knight New Work 2020 award for their project Oil Ancestors, and a Miami Live Arts Lab Alliance residency to develop Metaphysical Hotline, a performance by telephone for an audience of one. Fereshteh’s project Water Radio: Liquid Intelligence is a series of contemplative canoe and kayak outings supported by The Ellies Creator Award in 2018.

Fereshteh is an Associate Professor in the digital area of the Art and Art History Department of the College of Communication, Architecture, and the Arts at Florida International University. Before joining the faculty at FIU, Fereshteh held a full-time teaching appointment at Columbia College Chicago for 7 years, the Ford Foundation Faculty Fellowship in Arts and Civil Engagement at Syracuse University, and Visiting Assistant Professor appointments at Saint Mary’s College of Maryland and Frostburg State University, among others.

Documentation of Fereshteh’s artwork and creative research is available at http://fereshteh.net and at http://oilancestors.com