San Andreas

Navid Khonsari in conversation with Sohrab Kashani and Hamid Severi
San Andreas was a durational project by Sohrab Kashani comprised of photographs and videos taken of virtual people, objects, and places inside the action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The project also included a series of installations, talks, and discussions.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an open-world action-adventure video game that became the best-selling video game of 2004, selling over 27 million copies worldwide. The game is cited as a landmark within the video game industry for its far-reaching influence. At the same time, its depictions of violence and sexuality have been the subject of public controversy.
The game is played from a third-person perspective in an open-world environment, allowing players to interact with the game world at their own pace. It is set in the fictional U.S. state of San Andreas, loosely based on California and Nevada, and consists of three major cities: Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was one of the first titles in the series to allow players to freely use an in-game camera. The camera has a capacity of 36 images per roll, which can be saved by the player. Kashani deviated from the game’s intended objectives and instead used the camera as a tool to photograph virtual people, objects, and environments, treating the game space as a site for observational practice.
Navid Khonsari, both a veteran and contemporary force in the film and gaming industries, developed the cinematic look and feel of the Grand Theft Auto series. As the director of titles such as Max Payne, Smugglers Run, Midnight Club, Manhunt, Red Dead Revolver, and The Warriors, Khonsari pioneered the integration of live-action filmmaking techniques into video game cinematics, contributing to some of the most influential franchises in gaming history.
Venue: Mohsen Gallery [Tehran]
Date:
Wednesday, November 12, 2010 – 5–8 PM



















