Fish

Interactive map, tap the pins to see photos

Being born and having grown up on the shores of the Persian Gulf profoundly shaped my identity. Here, fish are not just a meal on the table. I have heard them in traditional melodies, read them in fairy tales, slept while hearing them in my parents’ lullabies, and known people with jobs or hobbies entangled with fish. While playing and abstracting with fish forms were always part of my daily sketches and creative practices, at first, I rarely used them as a focal subject of my works. Around a year and half ago, after filling many notebooks with fish forms in a short period, I realized the need to bring them out of my personal space and share them in public spaces and urban environments; locations where many people would see them, or at least, pass by them.

Along with the display location, I decided to add an interactive element to this project. I printed the forms on sticky-back papers and asked my friends to help me with this project. I invited them to choose a spot suitable for the fish, stick it, and then send me a photo, capturing the blending of their fish with the surrounding environment. Up until now, 53 fish have been placed across 32 cities in 11 countries.

The volunteers were urged to put the stickers only on legally and socially acceptable spots or remove the stickers immediately after taking the photograph, to avoid causing any disturbance.