Art Iran: Falling Into Language – new group exhibition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Art Iran: Falling Into Language, a new group exhibition opens at Craft Contemporary
Parastou Forouhar, The Written Room. Courtesy of the Artist
In this new group exhibition, nine expatriate Iranian artists engage with the Persian language as a visual and symbolic device, exploring their state of diaspora and concepts of “home” via the alphabet.
Opening Celebration & Preview: Saturday, January 27, 6-9 p.m.
Art Talk: Gallery Conversation: Shaping the Idea of Falling into Language,
Sunday, Jan. 28, 12-1:30 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Farhang Foundation and Craft Contemporary present a compelling new group exhibition, ART IRAN: Falling into Language, opening on January 28, 2024 with an artist talk at 12 pm, and runs through May 5.
ART IRAN: Falling into Language presents nine expatriate Iranian artists who engage diverse forms of the Persian alphabet, handwriting, and fragments as an essential part of their artistic practice. This exhibition includes installation works, drawings, collages, site-specific art, and an interactive installation. The methods used range from sewing; assemblages of letters, words, and ceramics; and wall painting.
“The technique of handwriting on objects of different materials, from dishes to architectural tiles, is part of daily life in Iranian culture — and has been throughout history,” notes the exhibit's curation team, Roshanak Ghezelbash and Hoda Rahbarnik.
“The text that appears in ART IRAN: Falling into Language is not necessarily there to be read. It is there to be seen,” explain Ghezelbash and Rahbarnik. “The audience's inability to read these letters captures the in-between state the artists occupy in their daily reality: no longer belonging in their homeland nor in their new home. They chose handwriting over calligraphy — a well-known official expression of the alphabet with a long history within and outside the Iranian art scene; the artists chose handwriting as their voice—to gain a sense of belonging. What they bring with them into this new state of alienation might ultimately be described as a new kind of cosmopolitanism — it belongs to nowhere, so it is at home everywhere.”
For example, The Written Room (pictured above), a site-specific installation by Parastou Forouhar, will be created in a narrow corridor of the gallery. Visitors will feel like they are walking into a room; her handwriting covers the walls and floors with black ink in this entirely white space. The Persian alphabet is presented in a way that may be unreadable even to Iranian readers, but the emotions conveyed in her art are universally understood.
Hadieh Shafie's installation, Ceiling Circle, 2023; Floor Circle, 2023.
Hadieh Shafie's installation, Ceiling Circle and Floor Circle, includes a hanging paper sculpture, a corresponding circular work on the floor, and three paintings (titled Safar, meaning travel). The installation features the word "Eshgh," meaning love, written on numerous layers of paper. The word "love" is repeated thousands of times, then rolled up and placed together as a cohesive work.
Women Artists
In addition to the women curatorial team, the exhibition features nearly all women artists (there is one husband/wife artist team). The artists include Golnar Adili, Parastou Forouhar, Taraneh Hemami, Elnaz Javani, Maryam Palizgir, Hadieh Shafie, Shadi Yousefian and the team of Neda Moridpour and Pouya Afshar.
Hadieh Shafie, Safar, 2021. Color pencil on museum board, 60 x 40 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Six Years in the Making
ART IRAN: Falling into Language, “has been six years in the making,” says Alireza Ardekani, Executive Director of the Farhang Foundation. “I am delighted with the powerful artistic voices and multiple perspectives presented in this groundbreaking exhibition.”
The curatorial team of Roshanak Ghezelbash and Hoda Rahbarnik were selected as the winners of the prestigious ART IRAN Curatorial Competition, which welcomed arts professionals with experience in developing highly focused group exhibitions centered on Middle Eastern art and culture. Entrants of the open call, which was announced in 2021, were asked to submit a proposal for an exhibition of visual art that evoked themes of Iranian culture and heritage, as expressed in Iran's contemporary art scene.
The submissions were reviewed by a distinguished panel of five jurors, including curator and scholar Fereshteh Daftari, curator Maryam Ekhtiar of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, world-renowned artist Tala Madani, senior curator Bennett Simpson of MOCA, and Craft Contemporary's former exhibitions curator Holly Jerger.
“Amid ongoing global challenges, we hope that this exhibition not only asserts cultural resilience but also acts as a catalyst for community empowerment,” said Rody N. Lopez, Executive Director of Craft Contemporary.
“These Iranian artists have followed different trajectories around the world,” note Ghezelbash and Rahbarnik. “In their state of diaspora, they maintain a solid relationship with the Persian language as a visual and symbolic device. Though immigrant artists inevitably assimilate into the new cultures within which they find themselves, the persistence of what they brought with them from home remains.”
Elnaz Javani, My Effigies, 2020. White muslin fabric, hand sewn with black thread covered the external layer with stories in Persian and Azari calligraphy. Courtesy of the artist.
About Farhang Foundation
Farhang Foundation is a nonpolitical, nonreligious, and not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting the richness of Iranian art and culture for the betterment of society as a whole. With a singular mission at its core, the Foundation strives to preserve, nurture, and share the diverse heritage of Iran with the global community. Through steadfast commitment, the Foundation supports a wide array of academic, artistic, and cultural programs and initiatives, fostering collaborative partnerships with esteemed universities, renowned museums, and the vibrant world of performing arts. These partnerships enable the Foundation to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the multifaceted aspects of Iranian culture and promote cross-cultural dialogue.
About Craft Contemporary
Craft Contemporary, located on Los Angeles’ historic Miracle Mile, resides in a three-story neo-Georgian building designed in 1930 by Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Once housing Frieda Schroeder Cakes, it was transformed into a restaurant and gallery by painter Edith Robinson Wyle in 1965, gaining non-profit status as the Craft and Folk Art Museum in 1973. Today, its façade, adorned with a vibrant geometric design by Los Angeles artist Brent Spears (Shrine), showcases the museum's dynamic spirit. In 2018, the institution transitioned to Craft Contemporary, aligning its name with a mission that celebrates both the process and outcome of making. Craft Contemporary is a vibrant hub for creativity and cultural enrichment in Los Angeles, embracing diverse audiences. The museum remains committed to Wyle’s legacy, curating exhibitions featuring established and emerging artists exploring craft media often overlooked in larger institutions. Wyle’s belief in the transformative power of hand-crafted objects echoes through the museum’s commitment to representing handmade art, cultural identity, and immersive experiences. The institution continues to evolve, offering educational programs and hands-on multigenerational workshops, creating a space where Los Angeles residents can deepen their connection to art, creativity, and community. For more information, visit CraftContemporary.org.
Media Contact: Tannaz Guivi, 310-666-1546, press@farhang.org
