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4.30 Pm Centenary Auditorium Art Gallery NSW 2016 Iranica Australia Conference Mirrors of Iran: Reflections in a Transnational Context

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4.30 Pm Centenary Auditorium Art Gallery NSW 2016 Iranica Australia Conference Mirrors of Iran: Reflections in a Transnational Context Saturday 3rd December 12.30pm —4.30 pm Centenary Auditorium Art Gallery NSW 2016 Iranica Australia Conference Mirrors of Iran: Reflections in a Transnational Context PROGRAME Saturday 3rd December, 2016 12.30pm - 4.30pm MC– Nazanin Marashian, Founder / Curator of IWVAC-Australia Welcome address– Masoud Rowshan, President of Association of Iranica Australasia Keynote Speaker – Hossein Valamanesh برلب جوی نشین و ………… Sit by the stream and Hossein Valamanesh was born in Iran in 1949 and graduated from the School of Fine Art in Tehran in 1970. He immigrated to Australia in 1973. He has exhibited in Australia and overseas including Germany, Poland, Japan, Finland UAE, UK, Cana- da Iran, and has completed a number of major public art commissions in Australia. Hossein has received numerous awards including Australia Council Residency in Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, 1991, an Australia Council Fellowship in 1998, Aomori Contemporary Art Center residency 2007. In 2014 he undertook a Smithson- ian Artist Research Fellowship in Washington DC. His work is included in most ma- jor public Australian art collections. A major survey of his work was held at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2001 and MCA Sydney 2012. A monograph titled Hos- sein Valamanesh, Out of nothingness was published by Wakefield Press in 2011. He lives and works in Adelaide, South Australia and is represented by GAG Projects Adelaide, Grey Noise Dubai and Karen Woodbury Melbourne. Hossein Valamanesh will present an illustrated talk on his artistic practice and the ideas that have been central in his works. In particular, he will examine how migrat- ing to Australia has affected his life and Art and allowed him to look at his birth- place through new eyes. Curator Asian Art Collection — Matt Cox Writing home: The calligraphy of Azra Aghighi Bakhshayaeshi, Parastou Forouhar and Shirazeh Houshiary Matt Cox will discuss the work of three Iranian women artists, Azra Aghighi Bakhshayaeshi, Parastou Forouhar and Shirazeh Houshiary and ask how as contem- porary calligraphers they have liberated letters from language and found new ways to understand calligraphy as being beyond words. Q & A– Hossein Valamanesh and Matt Cox, Facilitated by Ana Bacer- ra Break– 15min Bahman Kermany & Nazanin Khorshidian. Musical Performance– Dotar This is arguably one of the oldest Iranian instruments from east region of Iran. It has only two strings and nine frets but it can also have more add it to it. “Magham” is what’s known as the traditional folk music of Iran and it’s the root of “Radif” which is the Iranian Traditional music. Bahman and Nazanin will perform some of the songs from “Torbate Jam” which long has been forgotten over the years. Nazanin khorshidian is a singer and a dancer. Trained as an opera singer she took interest in Iranian traditional singing method under Naghme Gholami. As member of the Sydney Philhamornia choir group she has had a number of shows in opera house including “wonderful town” and “sea symphony” along with performing Iranian traditional music. Bahman Kermany is an Iranian born artist and musician graduating from National Art School and currently practicing art at Sydney as well as teaching music. Hi art practice takes a close look at Iranian mythologies and people's behaviour and the way a society is formed and shaped by their history. Dr Laetitia Nanquette– UNSW Contemporary Iranian Writers and Texts in Australia Laetitia Nanquette is a Lecturer and Australian Research Council Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. She holds a BA in Philosophy from the Sorbonne, Paris, and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Uni- versity of London. Her first book Orientalism Versus Occidentalism was published in 2013 by I.B.Tauris. She has published widely in academic journals and books. She also translates from Persian into French and English. In this presentation, Dr Nanquetter will analyse the literary production of Iranian-Australians to understand their place in contemporary Australian culture, addressing the following ques- tions: Who are the writers of Iranian origin in Australia? What is the history of their migra- tion? What kind of work do they publish and with which publishers? What reception do the texts receive? Which literary and/or community institutions support them? What relationship do they have with Iran and other diasporic communities around the world? She will argue that Iranian-Australian writers– perhaps because of, rather than despite, their short history of mi- gration – have adapted to the Australian readership quickly by using its language, English, over Persian, and its preferred genres, such as memoirs and stories about seeking asylum. PHD and Masters Research Panel– Mojgan Habibi, Farina Salehi, Sara IranNejad and Shima Shabazi Representing University of Newcastle, University of Sydney and Griffiths University, Queensland. Mojgan Habibi – University of Newcastle The Echo of Words Mojgan Habibi is a conceptual artist and researcher, she has completed her Master of Fine Art at RMIT in 2012 and is currently undertaking PhD research at the University of Newcastle. Her PhD research focuses on the use of words and letters by politically motivated artists. Abstract and illegible text can contain meaning in addition to a display of aesthetic qualities. Esoteric meaning can hide behind the divine exoteric aesthetic. Content is delivered not through the text itself, but through other means. Hidden meaning in text can be utilised subversively in order to articulate political, religious or social ideas. Farina Salehi - University of Sydney East Meets West: Reflections on Tribal Motifs and Abstract Expressionism Farina Salehi is currently studying her Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Sydney. She completed her undergraduate degree in Shiraz, Iran and also has a Masters in Fine Arts from Azad University, Tehran. She has participated in many group exhibitions in Iran and Australia. Farina's artistic practice is predominately oil painting and mixed media. She is influenced by the woven textiles of the nomadic people of Shiraz, Iran. Her research explores the negotiation of the traditional Eastern patterns with Western notions of abstraction. Sarah IranNejad - Queensland College of Art, Griffiths University Re-telling ‘ Paradise Garden’ in Contemporary Art Sara Irannejad explores re-evaluations of ‘place’, ‘belonging’ and ‘re-establishment through multidisciplinary practice. Iranian poetry and miniature painting has inspired most of her image- ry. In addition, features of Australian historical elements, flora and fauna, and also the technique of pyrography have greatly inspired some of her works. Locally found natural objects and frag- ments of old Queensland houses and furniture are often adorned with a variety of motifs inspired by ancient Persian imagery and mythology. Her paper will re-evaluate the significant impact of traditional Persian painting on a range of art practices that expand from two dimensional works to performance and multi-media platforms. Q & A– Academic panel Facilitated by Dr. Laetitia Nanquette Closing Remarks– Masoud Rowshan, President of Association of Iranica Australasia .
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