Zamharir (torture for the naked eyes) is a mixed-media body of work by Iranian artist Nima Nikakhlagh that invites the viewer to sit with the scenes where the eyes turn red from political violence.

Violence and melancholy permeate the experience of his work. Nima Nikakhlagh, who arrived in the United States from Iran in 2014, is a multidisciplinary artist working across mediums, such as performance art, photography, video and poetry. Nima’s practice concerns itself with socio-political power dynamics and political resistance approached in a poetic manner. Most of his works are performance-based, and he perceives performance art as not only a form of visual art, but much more, a social-political art form and a social-political art practice. His work frequently uses situation orchestration and some provocation—interruption of daily life—as mechanisms of audience internalization of his concepts – the real action takes place within the consciousness of the viewer. In his words, “the togetherness that performance art establishes is something truly necessary.” Nima’s works have appeared/been performed in Iran, Europe, Canada and the United States. He has published two literary-performative books: Bodies, Languages, Truths and This Is Not a Book. Nima is a recipient of the Franklin Furnace FUND for Performance Art 2023-24 Award.