"Fearless"
The next wave of artists from Iran
“Fearless is about 33 artists from Iran who have been working and working regardless of the market’s madness because they are manically obsessed with what they do. These 33 artists have been expressly chosen from various generations, from 25 to 75 years old. There is no age for being an obsessive courageous lunatic working silently.
“It is always hard choosing 33 artists from so many unsung heroes but it has to be done so apologies for not having enough space to include everyone.” Says Fereydon Ave, who has carefully selected pieces by these artists. “None of these artists have had media or market attention because of their obsession with work and not personal hype, so I am glad to champion them.” In a time and space where nothing changes fundamentally to keep on working on personal visions is fearless and to see fear as the only real censorship is to come out of the shadow.
The paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations in the exhibition encompass both figurative and abstract works, different in style and medium, and created by artists drawing on vastly different social, political and stylistic influences.”
Fereydoun Ave
"Suspended"
The lyrical force of Iranian art and its gentle allegorical curves are part of the concept of this exhibition. The interaction of shifting elements, resembles the balancing act inherent in Persian poetry; the lows and highs, the melody and pace, the harsh and the soft. Forms move through time and space and return to the real world as artistic actualities, ultimately reaching a stability in which all forces are equal.
A number of artists present in this exhibition are known for their exalted style and progressive attitude, next to them we are show casing works by younger artists who are unconventional and unrestrained in their practice. The constellation of these set of works is an attempt to reveal part of what is true and persistent in Iranian art today; a boundless potential for ecstasy and agony, a consistent struggle to deny darkness and to progress despite obstacles, in other words a balancing act.
"Flashback "
Memories both as an individual’s experience or as a collective one, have a lasting effect on artists. Memories are lived experiences of the artist with a direct impact on their psyche and soul. So it can be said that what differentiates art from life is the immortality of art vs transient quality of life. In recent decades we have witnessed an increasing number of artists who drive inspiration from their memory; bits and pieces of everyday life, and dreams and wishes. Censored memories, works of a disclosing nature and picturing what artists have had to endure in their personal lives are more visible in the art scene.
The essence of memories is closely linked with time. Henri Bergson argues that the true time, is the time of our anguish and dejection, the time of regrets and the impatience, and the time for our hopes and thirst.
This exhibition attempts to display forgotten and remembered memories. A flashback, a retelling of a story from past that has effected artists’ mined. Maybe a joyful memory of Childhood, or an unfulfilled love, or a flashback from a collective social memory which has been imprinted on the consciousness of the artists.
Mina Feshangchi
"Identity"
There was a time when, in order to give meaning to our presence in the world, we needed to reach outside ourselves, be that of mythical, religious or any other external (or extraterrestrial) source.(In the world) Today, however, one has to construct her identity over and over, every second and every turn.
Unlike her (their) ancestors, the subject of our time is all alone and desperate in forming (her) their identity- that is all the identities which they have to construct on a daily basis. The process of forming identity takes place by becoming distinct from one group and joining another. Our life today, is this endless game of getting diverged from one crowd and fading through another. Every distinction is a step toward sodality with another group.
By creating a universe of my own, I as well, part from one group and take part in another. In “Self Portrait” I have utilized internal and external elements to embody this capricious identity of mine. In contrast with the ordinary notion of self-portrait, by constructing the atmosphere and fashioning creatures; also by comprising various images –derived from different origin- I try to realize various aspects of myself.
