Mashy and Mashyana is a hand made audiovisual performance inspired by Zoroastrian creation story. As Elshan starts by establishing the narrative through her instrument (Tar), Neda makes the visuals by sand and as they carry on, they explore the story through the conversation between Tar and sand. The sequence although being designed and practiced, would still be open to improvisation and the makers let the audience, the space and the moment influence the rhythm of the piece. According to the creation myth as described in the Bundahishn (book of Primal Creation), Ohrmuzd's (Ahura Mazda) sixth creation is the primeval beast Gayomart (Gayamarətan), who was neither male nor female. Ahriman (Angra Mainyu), the Spirit of Evil that dwelt in the Absolute Darkness, sought to destroy all that Ohrmuzd had created, and sent the demoness Jeh (Jahi) to kill Gayomard. In this she was successful, but the moon (Mah) captured his seed before the animal died, from which all animal life then grew. From Gayomard's corpse grew a tree, the seeds of which were the origin of all plant life, and from the branches of which grew Mashya and Mashyana, the first man and woman whose procreation gave rise to the human race.
Part of "Klangteppich. Festival für Musik der iranischen Diaspora"
Elshan Ghasimi is a Persian musician and performance artist. She is one of the most well-known soloists of her generation; her instrument is the Tar, a long-necked lute. She was, at 17, the youngest member of the Iranian National Orchestra and studied the Persian and the so- called Caucasian Tar under various masters in Tehran and Baku (Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, Dariush Talai and Hossein Alizadeh, amongst others). In her compositions and performances, Ghasimi repeatedly draws on literary themes (e.g. Brecht, Gilgamesch, Nizām al-Mulk) and seeks to merge classical Persian music with Western paradigms through collaborations transcending genres (early music, jazz, electronic music). Ghasimi lives and works in Berlin and Tehran.
Neda Ahmadi was born in Tehran in 1984 and went to Art high school there to study Visual Arts. She would later go to drama school and receive her bachelor degree in Set and Costume design for stage from the Art University of Tehran. She has tried her hands on different disciplines, however the main passion of hers stayed visual story telling and she has been fascinated by mythology in particular, so that it became the centre theme in her work.
She lives in Berlin since 2016 and works as a freelance animator/director and visual maker. She has been collaborating mainly with musicians recently, making music videos as well as performing on stage to accompany music with live visual making.
She lives in Berlin since 2016 and works as a freelance animator/director and visual maker. She has been collaborating mainly with musicians recently, making music videos as well as performing on stage to accompany music with live visual making.