Allahyari’s poetic film explores the stories of astronomical instruments made in Iran and Pakistan and now held at the V&A. Dating from the 1200s to the 1700s, each object was modelled in 3D specifically for this project and features in the film alongside archival documents and related photographs. The museum’s archives capture only fragments of these objects’ histories. Documents record their arrival between about 1865 and 1930, but there is little sense of how their displacement impacted their places of origin and the people living there. Their journeys reflect imperial histories that have shaped the V&A’s collections. Born and raised in Tehran, Allahyari expands on these partially told tales. She deliberately combines fact and fiction to speculate on the encounters that have been lost, the knowledge that has been diverted and the cultural histories rendered inaccessible. Allahyari aims to disrupt the museum environment, reframing its imperial power dynamic and realigning objects with their own histories, cultures and people. She lifts fragmented stories beyond the confines of the museum, imagining how the past could have been different and the possibilities the future may hold.

Commission supported by the Manitou Fund, Kevin, Rosemary and Hannah Rose McNeely