Between Two Terms is a series of satirical installations by Las Vegas artist Ali Fathollahi. Fathollahi’s artworks, which will change several times during the run of the show, take a sharply humorous look at the frailty and hubris of public communication.
As a multilingual Iranian American, the artist is attuned to the gaps between languages and the ways in which words can be exploited to reward, bewilder, or harm different groups of listeners. He knows that it can be hard to see the reality that lies behind the messages we hear. Between Two Terms looks critically at the discrepancies between statements and actions.
Fathollahi’s interest in conversation is present in his title, which intentionally echoes Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, a parodic internet talk show that turns conventional celebrity interviews into surreal ordeals. Like Galifianakis, he enjoys subverting the viewer’s expectations with unexpected jokes. Between Two Terms can also be seen as a continuation of an installation the artist created in 2023 for the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’s Emotional Show. There, he devised a concise illustration of miscommunication by positioning two fans so that they blew hot or cold air at one another—a visual summary of two speakers who cannot bring themselves to hear or absorb the other person’s perspective.
Between Two Terms continues his practice of asking viewers to think about serious issues with playful and deliberate wit.
October 23, 2026 - May 22, 2027
Marjorie Barrack Museum of Art
