Carnegie Museum of Art Presents Rokni Haerizadeh’s Reign of Winter as Next Installment in Online Exhibition Series

Carnegie Museum of Art presents Reign of Winter (2012-2013), an animated video work by Iranian artist Rokni Haerizadeh, as the next installment of its online exhibition series. Haerizadeh’s film is accessible to audiences worldwide now through May 16, 2021 on cmoa.org.

The seven-minute silent video Reign of Winter uses rotoscope animation to transform thousands of still images taken from the televised 2011 British royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton into a fantastical moving dreamscape. Haerizadeh hand-painted footage of the nuptials frame-by-frame, altering one of the most highly televised events in recent history through surreal backdrops, textural detailing, and anthropomorphizing the wedding party into wild creatures.

“In this moment marked by the pandemic, intersecting social justice movements, and distrust of mainstream media, Reign of Winter reframes our understanding of power and celebrity, and how the press creates and perpetuates narratives related to both,” says Kiki Teshome, Carnegie Museum of Art’s Margaret Powell Curatorial Fellow and exhibition curator. “Through the tedious rotoscope process, Haerizadeh creates a surrealist world that is simultaneously whimsical and critical of our societal structures at large.”

Through rotoscope animation, Haerizadeh’s works create an entirely new medium, which he calls moving paintings. “Traditional paintings are often seen as static objects, separate from the process and time spent creating them,” Haerizadeh notes. “To me, it is important to make the underlying element of time visible, almost as if the painting is unfolding before the viewer.”

Reign of Winter debuted in the United States at the 56th Carnegie International in 2013. This presentation also doubled as Haerizadeh’s first exhibition in the United States. Along with a collection of works on paper by the artist, Carnegie Museum of Art acquired Reign of Winter for its film and video collection following the conclusion of the International.

The presentation of Reign of Winter will be accompanied by a variety of online events and programs including Reign of Winter watch parties on March 25 from 7–8 p.m., April 22 from 12:00-1:00 p.m., and May 18 from 7–8 p.m. followed by group conversation and artmaking led by Teshome. Unless otherwise noted, Carnegie Museum of Art events are pay what you wish with registration and all times are Eastern. More details can be found on cmoa.org.

Rokni Haerizadeh: Reign of Winter is organized by Kiki Teshome, Carnegie Museum of Art’s Margaret Powell Curatorial Fellow. The exhibition is on view and accessible to all, free of charge, on cmoa.org.