In Silent Steps; Transliterating the Unknown, A Prologue (working title)
 is a web-based narrative, of the feminist genre of life writing,
which traces the parallel psychological processes of two Iranian women,
one living in Iran and the other living outside.
The narrative is in the form of letters and journal entries which are interconnected,
not always in a chronological order, by hyper links.
While the narrative attempts to document the inner worlds of the two women,
external documents linked to the narrative provide the social backdrop.
The content of the piece is primarily text,
however, visuals and, possibly, sounds will be integrated
where they can be significant in
enhancing the visitor's experience of and participation in the piece.
Ideally, I would like the piece to document its own creative process,
in real time or as close to it as I can get.
I have been searching for a collaborator in Iran
and investigating secure and reliable methods of communication.
Once communication is established, the piece will develop contemporaneously.
This methodology is ideal
because it parallels the inherent potential of the Internet
as a medium for live exchange of information.
Of course, the ideal of the ideal is for our communication to be conducted by e-mail.
If that proves unlikely,
given the specific sociopolitical and technological limitations in and around Iran,
my alternate plan for creating the content
is to use already existing personal correspondence and journals.
Although this somewhat changes the feel of the piece,
it will be, nonetheless, a worthwhile investigation
in the potentials of the medium
for creating a narrative whose non-linearity
is not only content-driven but is strongly determined by the artistic intent.
In this scenario, I may decide to include a public conference
as an integral part of the piece
which can influence its development and direction.
_ the project |