"The layered images in the background are screengrabs from a security video that recorded the crash of flight PS752, a Ukrainian plate that was shot down by Iranian missiles shortly after taking off from the airport in Tehran. The security camera was for an apartment building near the crash site, and the footage witnessed the flaming debris from the plane, including bodies of passengers falling from the sky. A disembodied hand (of Donald Trump) points at something outside of the frame, but also at the other finger in the second photograph - referencing the idea of ‘pointing fingers’ when trying to blame someone for something. The black flag references a ‘penalty flag’, which It is associated with a penalty imposed on the driver for disobeying the rules in car racing. The hawk perched on the finger signifies a ‘war hawk’ or a bird of war. Not knowing which country this represents is important. I want people to know that one represents the US and the other Iran, but these identities are both also interchangeable because both countries are at fault and there is no ‘good or bad’. The basic point of this diptych is to consider the complicated layers of political relationships (specifically this plane crash event) and get people to consider how they decide what is ‘good’ and what is ‘evil’, as well as the types of images that are attributed to these ideas." - Sheida Soleimani