Perpetuum Mobile: This Text is a Sculpture
December 5- January 31
Sona Safaei-Sooreh
Curated by Caitlin Sutherland

The exhibition Perpetuum Mobile: This Text is a Sculpture features the work of interdisciplinary artist Sona Safaei-Sooreh. The Hamilton Public Library presents an ideal location with which to situate the two pieces on display, This Text is a Sculpture and Bibliography. The title Perpetuum Mobile references Derrida’s theory that the power of the sign in semiotics does not reside in a fixed synchronic system but rather that meaning arises from the perpetual movement between sign and signifier.Together, the works encourage the viewer to explore the mythology and power relations embedded in art discourse that are often taken for granted, encouraging a humorous reflection on institutional critique. Visitors are encouraged to contribute to the repetition and homogenization of this discourse by photographing themselves in front of Bibliography (reminiscent of a media or press backdrop), and sharing their photos via social media.

Sona Safaei-Sooreh is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto. She holds a BFA in painting from Azad University in Tehran, and a BFA in Sculpture/Installation from Ontario College of Art and Design University. She has shown her work nationally and internationally in KunstraumKreuzberg/Bethanien and NGBK (Berlin), DNA Projects (Sydney), XPACE (Toronto), Narwhal Projects (Toronto), Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), Thomas Erben Gallery (New York), Iranian Pulse at SESC Vila Mariana (Sao Paulo), and Parkingallery (Tehran).