Saman Mahdavi

My Therapist Is a Volcano is a multidisciplinary performance in the genre of magical realism. We attend a therapy session between a dinosaur from the (S)WANA region and her therapist—the Volcano.

The dinosaur, a defier of extinction who has transformed over millions of years, adapting and evolving while holding onto joy as a quiet act of resistance, shares stories from 83 million years ago about her life and friends.

Her therapist, the Volcano—keeper of the earth’s deepest wounds—helps to dino uncover emotions tied to a buried past and the legacy of black gold (oil) —her mom.

Saman Mahdavi is a versatile artist from Tehran whose work weaves together images (taswir), text, movement, and installation. a distinctive aspect in Saman’s practice, is the proximity of movement and political struggle. She dedicates her practice to crafting creative endeavors that resonate with themes of the Middle East, contemporary crises, and ancient wisdom, with a recurring focus on the concept of heat and black gold (oil) . Holding degrees in Theatre from the Art University of Tehran and Choreography from SNDO in Amsterdam. She showcased her work between SWANA region and Europe.

@_samanm
​​​​​​​https://samanmahdavi.com/