Composed of ethereal, narrative-based video projections and prints by Alma Sinai, the three sections of this series are in dialogue through repetition, loops, patterns, and ultimately the notion of a trap. Through the recurrence process in the motif of the nets and the looped narratives—with no exit points—meanings get lost, added, and distorted. The nets and their encompassing void implicate a space where the figures are confined and trapped. Within different parts of this project, there lies an ongoing tension and an occasional leakage between inside and outside while implicating a sense of suspension and pause. These in-between zones are connected by a thread, the mountain.
Refrain:
-(In poetry) A regularly recurring line or verse at the end of each stanza or division of a poem.
-To stop oneself from doing something.
This body of work was created before the recent uprising in Iran. In retrospect, it conveys a sense of calm before the storm, with the women at the center of the narrative: as if they are in a paused moment right before breaking through the confinements.
The Bridge & Tunnel Gallery stands at the intersection of ideation, creation, and community building. Thinkers, makers, and artists from historically underrepresented communities use the shared space to create and offer their work. Through the gallery’s meticulous curation and production, this art space has become a playground for the senses—a place where creators, vendors, and patrons culturally gather and connect to build a better world.
About the Artist:
Alma Sinai was born (1989) and raised in Tehran. After receiving an associate degree in Cinema from University of Art in Tehran she moved to the USA in 2010. She pursued a BFA degree at RISD followed by an MFA at Parsons. In the past decade alongside being active as an interdisciplinary artist she has also worked as a teaching artist. Sinai primarily works in printmaking, drawing, video and installation and usually focuses on binaries such as absence/presence, indoor/outdoor, visible/invisible. She has had solo and group exhibitions internationally in venues such as Dastan Gallery, 009821 Projects, International print center New York (IPCNY), Slaturhusid Culture Center, Site:Brooklyn, University of Edinburgh and Pratt institute. In the past years Sinai has attended residency fellowship programs including Vermont Studio Center and Lunga School in Iceland. She’s been based in Berlin since October 2021 after doing an artist residency program at GlogauAIR.
