2015 multi-artist exhibition 8th to 15th February 2015 Summerhall gallery, Edinburgh 1 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 About the Exhibition Artists from around the world were invited, through a call for artists, to respond to the title of Perception in categories such as video, installation, multi-media, painting, textile, drawing, photography, and sculpture. Artworks must have been created by an Iranian artist or inspired by Iran. The Selection Process Our invited judges made their selections from over 200 submissions and the works with the most votes will be exhibited at Summerhall gallery, Edinburgh, during the festival week. There will be a jury prizewinner for most promising submission. Judges Janet Rady Based between London and the United Arab Emirates, gallery director and curator Ms Rady is a specialist in contemporary art from the Middle East, with over twenty five years’ experience of the international art market including leading auction houses and major commercial galleries. She holds a masters degree in Islamic Art History from the University of Melbourne, and is the hons lectures secretary for the Iran Society and a nominator for the Jameel Prize. She is a member of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Advisory Council of Caravan Arts. http://www.janetradyfineart.com/ Morteza Nematollahi Mr Nematollahi is a leading figure in contemporary art within Iran. Born in Isfahan, Iran, he studied sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Isfahan and the University of Fine Arts in Tehran. One of his creations was the statue of Ostad Ali Akbar Isfahani who was the architect of Imam Square, Isfahan. He has participated in a number of biennials, group and solo exhibitions across Iran, and been part of numerous jury panels for exhibitions. Gohar Dashti Gohar Dashti holds a masters degree in photography from the Fine Art University, Tehran. She creates artwork using different media such as photography and video with references to history and culture in modern society. She has participated in art residencies and scholarships such as the DAAD award and her works have appeared in various exhibitions around the world such as the V&A in London, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. http://www.gohardashti.com/ Helia Darabi Ms Darabi is an art critic and freelance curator. She holds a masters degree in Art Studies from the University of Fine Arts, Tehran. She lectured at the Art University in Tehran and has worked as an editor for various art magazines such as Tandis. Her artworks have been shown at exhibitions around Iran and Turkey. She has also worked in translating several art academic books into Persian. 2 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Jury prizewinner Category: Painting Name: Mansooreh Peyrovi Email: [email protected] Ref no: MPey128 Short biography: The artist was born in Sari, Iran, and now lives in Tehran. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Painting from Tehran University. She has been part of many group exhibitions around Tehran. Description of artworks: This collection is made up of paintings called The Veresk Bridge which is the artist’s perception of the events in World War II where the bridge was a route for the Russians and helped secure victories. List of artworks: 1. The Veresk Bridge 1, 2014, 55cm x 43cm, 2500000 toumans 2. The Veresk Bridge 2, 2014, 53cm x 56cm, 2500000 toumans 3. The Veresk Bridge 3, 2014, 41cm x 60cm, 2500000 toumans 3 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Photography Name: Mohsen Shahmardi Email: [email protected] Ref no: MSha113 Short biography: The artist was born in Tehran, Iran and has a bachelor's degree in Cinema. He has had two solo exhibitions of his works, one in Tehran and one in Japan. He has also participated in seventeen national and international group exhibitions in Iran, England, France, and Wales. Description of artworks: The people along the sand All turn and look one way. They look at the sea all day. The land may vary more; But wherever the truth may be- The water comes ashore. From “Neither out far nor in deep” --- Robert Frost List of artworks: 1. Untitled, 2014, 50cm x 150cm, digital print, 5000000 toumans 4 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Painting Name: Meghdad Lorpoor Email: [email protected] Ref no: MLor5 Short biography: The artist was born in Shiraz, Iran. He has a bachelor’s degree in Painting. He has shown his works in solo and group exhibitions around Iran. Description of submitted work: The artist has used elements more commonly used for road construction to create his artworks. This may cause the viewer to change its perception of what bitumen, crude oil, and tar can be used for. These materials are abundant in oil-rich countries like Iran. List of works: 1. Tar 1, 2013, 35cm x 22cm, 2500000 toumans 2. Tar 2, 2013, 35cm x 22cm, 2500000 toumans 3. Tar 3, 2013, 35cm x 22cm, 2500000 toumans 5 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Video Name: Farsad Labbauf Email: [email protected] Ref no: FLab76 Short biography: The artist is Iranian and living and working in the New York area. Best known for his linear figurative paintings, he immigrated to America at thirteen. He has a bachelor’s in Fine Arts and also in Industrial Design. His linear figurative paintings are inspired in part by Persian calligraphy, tile works, and studies in quantum physics, revealing his reverence for such ideas as Unity and Monism. His paintings have been featured in more than sixty group shows across the globe, including Saatchi Gallery in London and Ex Aurum Museum in Pescara, Italy, in addition to solo exhibitions in New York, Boston, Amsterdam, Tehran and Esfahan Museum of Contemporary Art. Description of artworks: Value is a commodity that can be traded in and of itself by various perceptions of a population at any given moment in time and history. Inheritance is a single channel video projection addressing the seeming polarities between western ideas of modernization through industry and rise of capitalism, versus the skeletal foundation of an ancient eastern cultural legacy and its remaining traditions in the modern landscape of Iran. By examining the gradual movement and intersection of two still images, (one of an oil refinery under construction and the other of the great audience hall of Persepolis), Inheritance questions the rise or fall of these seeming polarities, allowing the answer to unfold in the ephemeral perception of the viewer and their individual observation of movement and meaning. List of artworks: 1. Inheritance: Rise or Fall, 2014, single channel video, 2 mins, $4000 6 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Video Name: Roxana Vilk Email: [email protected] Ref no: RVil129 Short biography: The artist is a British/Iranian filmmaker and musician living in Scotland. Description of artworks: The artist is submitting three short art films made in Northern Iraq, commissioned by Highlight arts and The British Council. They are art films responding visually and sonically to the poetry of three Iraqi poets from Kirkuk and Baghdad. List of artworks: 1. Gilgamesh’s Snake 2. In the Beginning 3. Beyond Words 7 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Video Names: Ramin Rahimi & Arash Mobarrez Emails: [email protected], [email protected] Ref no: RRah103 Short biography: Arash is an Iranian composer and sound designer living in Tehran, Iran. After his degree in computer software and engineering, he began composing with computers and has composed and recorded many pieces for cinema, live concerts, video art, and installations. Ramin is a painter, videographer, and filmmaker from Iran. He has shown his works in exhibitions and festivals around Iran, America, and Europe. Description of artworks: Cenapse is a series of audio/visual experiments based on the concept of removing all the narrative elements from the piece and using special audio-visual stimulations to create the same brain condition in the viewer as watching a dramatic narrative. List of artworks: 1. Cenapse #1, 2014, 2 mins 22 secs 2. Cenapse #2, 2014, 1 min 40 secs 8 W: www.ediranfest.co.uk E : a r t @ediranfest.co.uk charity no. S C 0 4 4 7 9 5 Category: Textile Name: Maryam Ashkanian Email: [email protected] Ref no: MAsk121 Short biography: The artist was born in Bandar Anzali in Iran. She studied Painting at the Fine Arts University in Rasht. She enjoys creating art works by sewing on fabric with an abstract content. She held her first solo show in Tehran three years ago and, since then, has been a part of a number of exhibitions and festivals at home and abroad. Description of artworks: The artist presents artworks from her Statement of Epitome series which she hopes will give a glimpse into her birth place and her thought processes. “Bareness of the visual kind and its brevity are the reasons why I place these stitches on the expanse of cloth.