Timo Nasseri

2021

Concrete, paint

340 x 290 x 123 cm

Commissioned by Fundación Casa Wabi. The objective of the project was to create a monumental sculpture for the municipal agency of the community of Hidalgo. The design of the piece is inspired by iconological features of Tláloc, Mesoamerican rain deity, and the color patterns were chosen by the community council.
The sculpture acts as a protective guardian of the community and is part of a landscaping project, promoted by the municipal agent, to beautify and renovate the public spaces of Hidalgo.

Casa Wabi

2022

oil and acrylic on canvas

225 x 190 cm

Timo Nasseri’s site-specific Sentinels I-IV appear across Alserkal Avenue’s skyspace as mysterious guides or messengers, imploring us to pay attention. Since coming across the 'Razzle Dazzle' camouflage created by artists for naval ships during WW1, the artist has been preoccupied with the notion that the designs were derived from animal, indigenous and abstract decorative forms from across the world. The strong and recognisable shapes form a visual language that connects maritime disappearances to the reemergence of ancient spirit guides and protectors, connecting with the navigatory, astral and ancestral themes of The Follower in an unexpected and playful way. Our futuristic Sentinels collapse time as they evoke both ancient pasts and speculative futures. Forming a new constellation across the landscape of the Avenue, they encourage us to look up and search for other signs and symbols and create our own spatial, temporal and spiritual connections. This commission marks a new departure for Nasseri, working with outdoor neon sculpture for the first time.

Curated by Nada Raza

Installation view of Sentinels I-IV by Timo Nasseri as part of The Follower, supported by Alserkal Arts Foundation. Photo credit: Musthafa Aboobacker / Seeing Things

2022

Acrylic and oil on canvas
197 x 400 cm

2023

Ink on Pigmented Paper
106 x 156.5 cm

2020-2022
Black clay, glaze

2022

polished stainless steel

98 x 104 x 18 cm

2022

Oil and Acrylic on canvas on wood

225 × 190 cm

2020-2022

glazed clay

from a series of more than 200 ceramic sculptures

2022

Oil and acrylic on canvas on wood

225 × 190 cm

I am a sky where spirits live #3

2022

Oil and acrylic on canvas

225 × 190 cm

2022

arcylic and oil on canvas

92 x 80 cm

2018

Acrylic on canvas

275 × 158 cm

2019

Painted steel

318 × 190 × 78 cm

painted steel

750 pieces

2017

White ink on pigmented paper

112 x 162,5 cm

2019

Painted steel

311 x 164 x 94 cm

2019

Painted steel

310 x 108 x 77 cm

Nasseri’s work ‘Unknown Letters’ was inspired by the life of the calligrapher Ibn Muqla (885-940, Baghdad), who attempted to add four letters to the Arabic alphabet in 935. These invented letters got lost and were never added to the alphabet, but his system of proportional letters is still valid today. Nasseri began an in-depth research of the Arabic script and alphabet, paying particular attention to its forms and aesthetics. ‘While searching for the letters, it occurred to me that Ibn Muqla might have seen missing letters in the stars.’ So he started looking for the constellations that might have formed the shapes of these letters in the night sky over Baghdad.

2019, Ink and pencil on inked paper, 80 x 105,5 cm

powder coated steel

44 x 50 x 35

2012

21 drawings ink and pencil on paper

each 21 × 14,8 cm

2018

Acrylic on canvas

275 × 158 cm

steel, magnets

19 x 19 x 76 cm

2018

Acrylic on canvas

210 × 140 cm

2017

Acrylic on canvas

210 × 140 cm

site specific installation

2012

White ink on pigmented paper

92,5 × 92,5 cm

steel, magnets

19 x 19 x 74 cm

commmisioned by the NGV Melbourne

2012, powder coated steel, 31 x 40 x 24 cm

2013

ink on paper

83 x 59 cm

Ink on paper

series of 76 drawings

each 84,1 x 59,4 cm

2012

ink and pencil on paper

21 drawings

each 21 × 14,8 cm

100 x 122 x 113cm

stainless steel

steel, magnets
64 x 17 x 17 cm, plinth: 100 x 26 x 26 cm

brass, wood, strings, steel, plinth

60 x 60 x 60 cm

2013

Polished stainless steel

88 × 84 × 20 cm

stainless steel

380 x 185 x 267 cm

wood, stainless steel

335 x 180 x 8 cm

2010

Polished stainless steel

83 × 102 × 15 cm

2010,

polished stainless steel,

121 x 91 x 89 cm

I started the series „O time thy pyramids“ and „Nine Firmaments“ at a point after studying the mathematics of Islamic patterns. I began questioning the legibility of geometry, formulas and mathematics in general, but also thinking about different concepts of infinity. I came across the stories of Jorge Luis Borges and was impressed by the playful approach to quantum physics, paradoxes, infinity, legibility and geometry. Especially ”The Library of Babel” was sort of an inspiration to start my own infinite library: “O time thy pyramids” (a quote from Borges “The library of Babel”). Using graphs, points, lines and circles for a mathematical improvisation, the process is more like a mediation with unintentional designs. Fragments might look like geographical maps, physical explanations or musical scores. At this point I have created around 120 of these drawings.

Just as Borges’ short story describes the failure to comprehend a written language, there is always something lost in translation, gaps that appear in the process of notation, yet mathematics underpins everything as both the most universal and incomprehensible descriptor. In many of his stories, Borges uses mathematical theories to reveal deep abstractions, composing chaos and repetition, while also giving us glimpses of circularity and infinity that are far beyond our field of vision.

These drawings function as a system of language, but one in which there is no key. Like pages from a book, each work is simultaneously the answer to a possible question, and undecipherable;

"I always thought a block of these works is an answer to something. Maybe this explains how gravity works in a parallel universe where there are three-legged mice... or everything is the same but you would be me and I would be you… there is an answer to a certain question in here which could be philosophical or could be physical. They are like short stories, but you cannot really read it because there is no legend to what each part means. That‘s part of the game, explaining something without giving an answer."TN

‚Riffing on Mathematics‘ by Rebecca Partridge, 2017

wood,

150 x 123 x 90 cm

wood

23 x 23 x 20 cm

stainless steel

567 x 232 x 300 cm

Alif, 2009

wood, stainless steel table

160 x 140 x 25 cm