Nine Iranian Artists in London: THE SPARK IS YOU
22 May - 08 Sep 2019
Parasol unit presents Nine Iranian Artists in London: THE SPARK IS YOU, a group exhibition of works by contemporary Iranian artists whose vision looks beyond the ordinary. Each piece was selected for the affinity with openness, respect and human interconnectedness evinced in the work.
Morteza Ahmadvand | Nazgol Ansarinia | Ghazaleh Hedayat | Sahand Hesamiyan
Koushna Navabi | Navid Nuur | Sam Samiee | Hadi Tabatabai | Hossein Valamanesh
Presented through a prism of classical Persian poetry, the exhibition, fittingly, coincides with the 200th anniversary of West-oestlicher Divan (West-Eastern Divan), 1819, a book of lyrical poems written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in homage to the fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafez. The exhibition, which includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations and film, focuses primarily on early- and mid-career artists who live either in Iran or elsewhere in an adopted country. A sense of duality exists within their works, with concepts stemming from private and collective experiences manifested either figuratively or in the abstract. Living and working in disparate parts of the world, each of the artists responds uniquely to modern society, yet a common heritage of poetry, evident in their use of metaphor and parable, runs through all their works.
Curated by Ziba Ardalan, Founder/Artistic and Executive Director of Parasol unit, the exhibition is accompanied by a tailored programme of educational events and a comprehensive publication available in June 2019.
The exhibition runs concurrently with THE SPARK IS YOU: Parasol unit in Venice, which also presents the work of nine Iranian artists, some of who also have pieces in this London presentation that continues significant themes of exchange and dialogue.
Morteza Ahmadvand | Nazgol Ansarinia | Ghazaleh Hedayat | Sahand Hesamiyan
Koushna Navabi | Navid Nuur | Sam Samiee | Hadi Tabatabai | Hossein Valamanesh
Presented through a prism of classical Persian poetry, the exhibition, fittingly, coincides with the 200th anniversary of West-oestlicher Divan (West-Eastern Divan), 1819, a book of lyrical poems written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in homage to the fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafez. The exhibition, which includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations and film, focuses primarily on early- and mid-career artists who live either in Iran or elsewhere in an adopted country. A sense of duality exists within their works, with concepts stemming from private and collective experiences manifested either figuratively or in the abstract. Living and working in disparate parts of the world, each of the artists responds uniquely to modern society, yet a common heritage of poetry, evident in their use of metaphor and parable, runs through all their works.
Curated by Ziba Ardalan, Founder/Artistic and Executive Director of Parasol unit, the exhibition is accompanied by a tailored programme of educational events and a comprehensive publication available in June 2019.
The exhibition runs concurrently with THE SPARK IS YOU: Parasol unit in Venice, which also presents the work of nine Iranian artists, some of who also have pieces in this London presentation that continues significant themes of exchange and dialogue.