27 September 2008 - 10 January 2009
Asia House Gallery, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1

Be Colourful (detail), Shadi Ghadirian, 2004
 

Organised by

Asia House and the Iran Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with New Hall, Cambridge University

Balli Group plc
Bank Julius Baer
Targetfollow

Faryar Javaherian

Haleh Anvari

This exhibition brings together a fascinating selection of works by some of Iran's most talented and extraordinary women artists. Through photography and film it focuses on the feelings of anxiety, isolation and the sense of loss that Iranian society, and women artists in particular, have been experiencing in the last 30 years, living in Iran.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the exhibition is the sense of humour with which the artists tackle their problems, addressing major issues such as Islamic paternalism, loss of identity, isolation from the rest of the world, the Iranian Revolution and the devastating eight-year war with Iraq from 1981-1989 where thousands of teenagers ran to martyrdom. 30 Years of Solitude shows that the contemporary art of Iran has been hugely influenced by the traumatic historic events of the last three decades, and that millions of Iranians have been affected by them in one way or another. As Faryar Javaherian says "Art was a way to exorcise all the evils witnessed during the war and the Revolution. After World War II there was a similar outburst of art, literature and philosophy in Europe".

The images and stories in this exhibition provide an unmissable opportunity to discover more about Iran.

As part of the exhibition, the film Old Man of Hara by Mahvash Sheikholeslami 2001 will also be shown in the gallery.

27 September 2008 - 10 January 2009
Monday - Saturday 10.00 am - 6.00 pm
Closed Sundays and 24 December - 4 January

Exploring issues raised in the exhibition

27 September 2008
2:00 - 6:30 pm

Film - On a Friday Afternoon by Mona Zandi Haghighi 2006
2:00 - 3:20 pm
For Synopsis Click here

Film - Just a Woman by Mitra Farahani (link to bio) 2002
3:30 - 4:00 pm
For Synopsis Click here

Seminar - How can we be Iranian, women and artists?
4:15 - 6:30 pm
Chair: Venetia Porter curator of Islamic Art collection - British Museum

· Gender and Exile in Post-Revolutionary Iranian Art - Shiva Balaghi, New York University and University of Michigan

· The Blooming of Iranian Women Artists - Goli Taraghi, Iranian novelist.

· How the Destiny of Iran has influenced the work of women artists Faryar Javaherian, architect, film-maker and curator of the exhibition

Lectures, changing exhibitions, films

A series of lectures dealing with contemporary Iran, plus visual exploration of Iranian art and culture through the works of Iranian artists and filmmakers

27 September 2008 - 10 January 2009

Film - Gilaneh by Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahab
14 October 2008
6:45 - 8:15 pm
For Synopsis Click here

Political expressions - Persian politesse and camouflaged expression
Haleh Anvari
Followed by reception
24 October 2008
6:45 - 8:15 pm

Populism and its malcontents - Ali Ansari, Professor of modern history and director of Institute of Iranian Studies, University of St. Andrews
10 November 2008
6:45 - 7:45 pm

Iran: Food and culture - Sami Zubaida, Emeritus professor of politics and sociology, Birkbeck College, London
11 December 2008
6:45 - 7:45 pm

Fine Rooms (For sale)
Contemporary Iranian art
October 2008
Admission free

Anahita Rezvani Rad - Painting
November 2008
Admission free

Exhibitions in Café t (For sale)
Mamad Mossadegh - Photography
Film - Reeds by Kika Vliegenthart and Lilly Ladjevardi 2006
October 2008
Admission free

Afsoon - Painting
Film - The day I became a woman by Marziyeh Meshkini 2008
November 2008
Admission free

+ 44 (20) 7307 5454 or enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk

£2.50, students £1.00
Asia House friends, IHF patrons and under 18s free

£20
Asia House friends, IHF patrons and concessions £15

£20
Lecture & reception
Asia House friends, IHF patrons and concessions £15

Lectures only

£8
Asia House friends, IHF patrons and concessions £5

Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7307 545, enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk, www.asiahouse.org

... Payvand News - 09/15/08 ... --