IAIS Exhibition Launch: The Virtual Shepherd
The Virtual Shepherd: Love and Screen Addiction at the End of the World
The Virtual Shepherd: Love and Screen Addiction at the End of the World is a photographic and video exploration of Ali, a young shepherd in Iran’s remote 70 Peaks Valley. In the 2010s, he managed a Telegram chat with over 5,000 members, sustaining a vibrant online life he called majāzi — “the virtual.” The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the surreal intersection of rural life and digital connectivity, where the smartphone becomes a site of desire, longing, and endless scrolling. Even as platforms change, the experience of being online remains strikingly familiar.
| An Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies exhibition | |
|---|---|
| Date | 1 October 2025 |
| Time | 12:00 to 14:00 |
| Place | Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies |
| Provider | Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies |
Event details
- 12 noon, a buffet lunch will be served at 12 noon in the Street Gallery
- 12.30 – official opening of Exhibition, Maziyar Ghiabi and William Gallois
- 13.00 – 13.45 Screening of the documentary film in Seminar Room 1 with a Q&A session
Please email s.a.wood2@exeter.ac.uk should you wish to attend to support catering arrangements.
Location:
Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies