Local gallery Traffic is renowned for wearing its heart on its sleeve, celebrating art that pushes boundaries, and this time the focus is on the concept of master and slave relations. In the fourth instalment of the gallery’s ‘The State’ series, entitled ‘Domination, Hegemony and the Panopticon’, gallery owner Rami Farook has taken inspiration from philosophers Jean Baudrillard and Michel Foucault to explore ideas behind power, dictatorship and the dominated. Here, three of the artists dissect their work.

Hesam Rahmanian, 32, American

What does the title of the exhibition mean to you?
It means complete domination by a greater power, such as a dictator. In this exhibition, you have to bend over or tiptoe in order to see a work.

What does the title of your piece, ‘You Fight So I Can Dance’, mean?
It refers to those who lead and send others to war for their own benefit.

What is depicted in this work?
It shows Iran’s parliament at the top leading a blood sport: boxing.

How does it relate to the theme?
In this piece there is a greater power ruling and leading a game. The players are ordinary people and the force/master/dictator sits at the top.