5 shows of Iranian Art in NYC
Against a backdrop of US–Iran tension over uranium enrichment, economic sanctions, and Syria, a season of cultural dialogue has opened in New York City, where no less than five exhibitions of modern and contemporary Iranian art open this week.
1. The Asia Society
Currently showing "Iran Modern," the first major show of modern Iranian art on US soil. The 100 paintings, photos, and sculptures by 26 artists, on loan from public and private collections across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, were created in the three decades leading up to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
2.Tehran's Shirin Gallery
(511 W. 25th St.)
Showing "My Name is Not Rouge," a group exhibit featuring modern interpretations of the art of the Persian miniature. The 15 artists include established Iranian stars such as Fereydoun Ave, who divides his time between Tehran, Paris, and Dubai, as well as emerging talents.
(157 Hudson Street).
A newly opened space displays Nicky Nodjoumi, a Kermanshah-born artist, whose Pre-Revolution paintings are part of the Art Asia exhibit, will also have a solo show of current work at the "Chasing the Butterfly and Other Recent Paintings," Nodjoumi, who was in his 30s during the revolution and has been based in New York since 1981, often depicts human figures engaged with bizarrely counter-poised animals as a way to explore his personal experience of alienation and dislocation while interjecting sharp political commentary.
(526 W. 26th St.)
Features "Curriculum Mortis," a one-man show by Tehran-based Barbad Golshiri. Born three years after the revolution, the multimedia artist explores the boundaries between politics, national duty, and repression in a sculptural installation of a cemetery.
(568 W. 25th St.)
As a part of the international artists grouped into the Calligraffiti show works from Farhad Moshiri, the Los Angeles-based father of Iranian pop art; Pouran Jinchi, who deconstructs the Persian alphabet and traditional text in sculpture, glasswork, and prints; and Sherin Neshat, a filmmaker and photographer who superimposes calligraphy on the human figure.