Thresholds 2nd Floor 2025

On the second floor of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, a set of double doors once led to the studios of the TransArts class. Yet, when opened, they reveal a different reality — a solid wall. The passage could have been entirely walled-up, the doors removed, and the wall seamlessly closed. Instead, it exists in a state of paradox — a non-space, a reference to something that no longer exists.

Kimiya Rastgou Moghadam’s work “Who/When” explores the ambiguous condition of the architectural element suspended between two realities — once a passage, now a sealed surface. It no longer functions as intended, yet it remains present, carrying the traces of its past.
This duality resonates with Moghadam’s question, which can be read in two ways: “Ki hastam?” (Who am I?) or “Key hastam?” (When am I?). Displayed on a flip clock, the question shifts as time moves forward. Though the words remain unchanged, they continue to flip, mirroring the tension between stability and transformation. Just as the door stands at the intersection of past and present, the clock reflects how identity is shaped by time. By placing the phrase within the framework of the architecture, the artwork turns it into a symbol of transformation. Just as the door once allowed passage and facilitated movement, time carries us forward. Thereby, we are confronted with the lingering questions: Who are we in each passing moment? Who are we beside the endless flow of time?