Shana Abdollahian (b. 1996, Reading, England) received her Diploma in Mathematics and then began working as a graphic designer. She is currently studying Painting at the Tehran University of Art. She works with the media of installation and painting. In her works, she focuses on recreating memories and moments that should not be forgotten.

Ehsan Alizadeh (b. 1999, Mashhad, Iran) received a Diploma in Architecture after which he started to work as an Architectural Designer. He is currently studying for his BA in the Enghelab-e Eslami Technical College, while also creating installations and animations.
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Dystopia

A dystopia is an undesirable community or society. We all have ideals and as we are fascinated by its beauty, we overlook the price we pay for it. An ideal would come, feed on our possessions, and embrace our integrity. It becomes our shelter like the dome of a temple. Sometimes the outer layer of this temple is a lifeless structure that runs counter to the living spirit of our ideal. The Lingzhi Mushroom is a metaphor for this utopian ideal. While we are bedazzled by its growth, it encompasses and feeds on our personal lives. Also called “the magic fungus,” this mushroom is a remedy for many diseases. Nonetheless, taking large amounts of it can be fatal. Eventually, the only thing left for us is the ideal, and we will have to stay in that shelter. All we care about is the utopia we have built for ourselves. Something has happened in our lives and we are not able to see it. We have to get out of the shelter of this utopia and look at it from the outside.