U.S.A.I.R.A.N obscures the perceived divide between Iranian and U.S. identities. By reappropriating the exterior of a vacant mid-century American building, Sanaz Mazinani creates a sculptural symbol for the transference of culture in which personal politics are recontextualized and cross-examined. Articulating the nebulous sense of place from the perspective of an emigrant, windows wrapped in intricate Islamic patterns reference architectural details of the former Embassy of Iran which has stood vacant since 1980. Upon close inspection, these patterns are comprised of mass media imagery, composed in parallels and contradictions. U.S.A.I.R.A.N examines absence and placelessness, while at the same time explores the potential for harmony. U.S.A.I.R.A.N was part of Curator Justine Topfer's exhibition home(land) for 5x5: 2014, a temporary public art project of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities dedicated to exploring new perspectives on the District of Columbia through the lens of five curators and 25 artists.