women of iran, women of islam exhibition portfolio

Women of IRAN Women of ISLAM

Roshi Ahmadian

2

Table of CONTENTS

EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3 OBJECT CHECKLIST ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ............................................................................................................................................ 7 INTRODUCTORY LABEL ................................................................................................................................................. 14 SUB PANELS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 15 REVOLUTION ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 RELIGION ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 ROMANCE ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 REVELATION ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

CHAT LABELS .................................................................................................................................................................... 17 REVOLUTION ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 RELIGION ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 ROMANCE ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 REVELATION ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 28

SPECIAL PROGRAMS ....................................................................................................................................................... 32 LECTURE SERIES ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 GALLERY TALKS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 FILMS ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 33 CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES ........................................................................................................................................................ 34 NOWROOZ FESTIVITIES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 34

PRESS RELEASE ................................................................................................................................................................ 35 IMAGES OF OBJECTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 REVOLUTION ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 RELIGION ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 47 ROMANCE ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 53 REVELATION ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 59

3

Exhibition DESCRIPTION

Women of Iran, Women of Islam provides visitors with various perspectives into the lives of Iranian women after the Islamic Revolution, inspiring the former to reexamine their understanding of these women. Women played a major role in the events before, during, and following the Revolution, as depicted in the black and white photographs by Abbas displayed in “Revolution” at the beginning of the exhibition. As “Religion” became the lens through which women of Iran were viewed after the birth of the Islamic Republic, the second issue the exhibition raises is the religious practices of this society. Love too is an all pervasive theme in Persian culture and literature. This subject was reinterpreted in the new Islamic Republic by artists like Farah Ossouli in “Romance.” A central focus of the exhibition is “Revelation,” which examines the Iranian woman’s perception of herself, as well as how she is seen through the eyes of others.

4

Object CHECKLIST

Image Artist Title Date Medium Dims. (cm)

Col. Credit Line

Acc. #

1

Abbas Female Students

in Chemistry

Lab

1977 Photograph Not Found

Magnum Photos

N/A PAR232574

2 Abbas salon owner (left)

welcomes client


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR210148

3

Abbas Female Students at Art

Exhibition


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR232564

4 Abbas Woman at Pro-Shah

Demonstration


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR155213

5 Abbas Supporter of the Shah is Lynched


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR63

6 Abbas Veiled Woman

Displays Handwritten Poster


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR232606

7 Abbas Demonstration


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR282147

8 Abbas Woman Hands out Flowers


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR232605

9 Abbas Forouz Rajaifar


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR232662

10 Paolo Woods

Samaneh Nik (left)

and Assistant


Artist N/A 1074

5

11 Paolo Woods

An Art History

teacher in her house

2005 photograph Not Found

Artist N/A 1070

12 Maliheh Afnan

Veiled Threats

2005 Ink on paper

overlaid with gauze

h: 60 w: 42

British Museum

Brooke Sewell

Permanent Fund

2005 7-12 01

13 Afruz Amighi

His Lantern

2006 Pe-Cap and Plexiglas

h: 254 w:

177.8

Cleveland Museum of

Art

The Severance and Greta

Millikin Purchase

Fund

2012.15

14 Damon Lynch

Jewish Temple in Hamedan


Artist N/A N/A

15 Damon Lynch

Friends 2008 Photograph Not Found

Artist N/A N/A

16 Farah Ossouli

Anticipation

2009 Gouache on cardboard

Each h:65 w:50

Artist

N/A N/A

17 Farah Ossouli

And Someone Comes


h:75 w: 110

Artist

N/A N/A

18 Farah Ossouli

Honeymoon 2008 Gouache on cardboard

h: 75 w: 75

Artist

N/A N/A

19 Farah Ossouli

Love and Death from Shahnameh Series


h: 110

w: 75

Artist

N/A N/A

20 Jila Peacock

Ten Poems from Hafez

2004 silkscreen with poems

on Japanese paper

h: 33.1 w:

43.2

British Museum

Brooke Sewell

Permanent Fund

2006 2-8 01

6

21 Shirazeh Houshiary

Round Dance

1992 Etching on paper

h: 77 w: 76

British Museum

Not Found

1995 11-8 05

22 Shirin Neshat

Rebellious Silence

1994 B&W RC print and

ink

h: 35.6 w:

27.9

Artist N/A N/A

23 Shadi Ghadirian

Untitled 1998 Photograph:

Gelatin-silver bromide print

h: 23.97 w:

16.35

Los Angeles County

Museum of Art

Art of Middle East

Acquisition

Fund, Ralph M. Parsons Fund

M.2008.35.11

24 Shadi Ghadirian

Untitled 2000-

2001

c-print photograph

h: 183 w: 183

Artist N/A N/A

25 Bahman Jalali

Image of Imaginatio

ns

2002 Photograph h: 42.5 w:

42.5

Private Collectio

n

N/A N/A

26 Paolo Pellegrin

Untitled


Magnum Photos

N/A PAR323843

27 Damon Lynch

Laughing Turkoman Woman


Artist N/A N/A

28 Naveed Nour

Temptation 2008 photograph Not Found

Artist N/A N/A

29 Naveed Nour

Liberation 2008 photograph Not Found

Artist N/A N/A

30 Shirin Fakhim

Tehran Protitutes

2008 Ceramic, textiles,

wig

h: 92.50 w: 70 d: 69

Anonymous owner

N/A N/A

7

Introductory REMARKS The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was truly one worthy of the name. The first signs of unrest became evident so rapidly that they left the world in utter shock. Only eight year earlier, Mohammad Reza Shah, the last king of Iran, celebrated the 2,500th year of the Persian Empire with politicians and heads of state from all over the world, an extravaganza which took a decade of planning and is said to have cost $22 million. Perhaps this overspending on the part of the governing body was one of the reasons behind the public’s uproar. Political details aside, the ensuing revolution resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi Dynasty. The Shah was replaced by Ayotollah Khomeini, a religious leader of the Revolution, and the Islamic Republic became the official government of Iran. Following these events and especially due to the US Embassy hostage crisis, Iran and its people were never regarded the same in the eyes of the international community. Today, thirty-four years later, this remains true in many ways, particularly with respect to how Iranian women are viewed within and outside of that country. Exploiting these tensions and stereotypes is precisely what this exhibition does. Women of Iran, Women of Islam provides visitors with various perspectives into the lives of Iranian women after the Islamic Revolution, inspiring the former to reexamine their understanding of these women.

Women played a major role in the events before, during, and following the overthrow of the Shah, as depicted in the black and white photographs by Abbas displayed in the first space of the exhibition, “Revolution.” These photographs place the visitor in the tumultuous days of the revolt and provide a departure point for the upcoming galleries.

Abbas photographed female students and professionals a few years prior to the revolution. In Female Students at Art Exhibition, two women are shown as they take notes in an exhibition of African Art organized by

8

Empress Farah’s foundation. The Empress was a great patron of the arts and made various contributions to education and cultural reform.

Woman at Pro-Shah Demonstration is one of Abbas’ iconic photographs of the revolution. The woman holds a “rial” bill over her right eye at a rally supporting the Shah. She represents the king as “the light of her eyes,” a way to say dear or precious in Iranian culture. Her diamond-encrusted ring and fur coat suggest her degree of affluence, an attribute associated with the devotees of the king during the Revolution.

Woman Hands out Flowers also captures the involvement of women in the rallies, but from an opposing viewpoint. During an anti-Shah demonstration, a woman hands out a flower to a young boy. Flowers were given out to bystanders in an effort to encourage them to join the revolt. Anxiety is evident in the faces of the boy’s father and older sister, as they try to distance themselves from the revolutionary woman.

The topic of religion became unavoidable in the lives of women after the birth of the Islamic Republic and many later served as spiritual leaders, a concept addressed in the second gallery, “Religion.” Islam is the lens through which most western societies tend to view Middle Eastern women, and the aim of this section of the exhibition is to show that religious extremism is not the only perspective.

The Portrait of Samaneh Nik and Assistant by Paolo Woods shows two seated women, both heavily veiled in black chadors. While at first glance this may seem no more than a portrait of two women, the woman on the left holds a PhD in theology and is head of Hosseinieh Nosrat, one of Mashhad’s religious seminaries for women. She is an acknowledged expert on Islamic morality, has published on conjugal rights, and offers marriage counseling to pilgrims at the Shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shi’a Imam. She demanded that her right to study after marriage be included in her marriage contract with her husband.

9

Although the imagery of women in black chadors is prevalent in the media, Paolo Woods places flowers on the table in such a way that the women shape a heart, which not only symbolizes Nik’s marriage counseling, but also familiarizes us with the otherwise distant figures.

Afruz Amighi incorporates various religious symbols and traditional motifs of Islamic Art. His Lantern, the first in her series of shadow installations, adopts the format of a prayer rug with an arch based on a mihrab of a mosque as a major focus of attention. Instead of the mosque lamp, an elaborately designed chandelier within the work physically aids in the creation of the shadow beyond by letting light penetrate through. Upturned flames form the name of Allah, as yet another allusion to religion.

Love too is an all pervasive theme in Iranian culture and literature. This subject has been reinterpreted in the new Islamic Republic by the work of various female artists presented in the section of the exhibition dedicated to “Romance.” This gallery not only tackles a traditional and specifically Persian idea of love, but also by expressing a universal theme, represents the women of Iran as sharing a deep sentiment with those of other cultures.

Farah Ossouli’s work draws inspiration from the courtly romance themes of Persian literature. The agony of an unconsummated love is painfully evident in Anticipation. This two-piece painting portrays the couple as separated, quite physically, by the division of the canvas. The man awaits his lover eagerly, as his drinking vessel can only be filled by her wine.

Jila Peacock uses specific verses from the poetry of Hafez in creating her zoomorphic calligraphy. Animals mentioned in the poems, like the peacock seen in Ten Poems from Hafez, are enlivened through the nasta’liq script, developed in the fifteenth century specifically for writing in Farsi. Part of this poem reads: “Until your hair falls

10

through the fingers of the breeze, my yearning heart lies rent in two with grief. Black as sorcery you magic eyes, render this existence an illusion…. Wafting tresses in the perfect garden of your face, drop like a peacock falling into paradise”

In her set of five color etchings, titled Round Dance, Shirazeh Houshiary also transcribes the poetry of years past. The words are not meant to be legible, but rather work to create various forms. The shapes here refer to the rotation of the earth and the planetary system. The following part of Jalal al-Din Rumi’s poem complements the work: “Walk to the well. Turn as the earth and moon turn, circling what they love. Whatever circles come from the center.”

All of the spaces mentioned thus far in turn lead to the central gallery, “Revelation,” which contrasts the work of female and male artists and focuses on the Iranian woman’s perception of herself, as well as how she is seen through the eyes of others. This gallery also makes an implicit suggestion to the visitor: that the art of women artists enjoys the same quality as the work of their male counterparts.

Shirin Neshat’s Rebellious Silence exposes the unknown liberties of women in a chador. This concealment keeps women from becoming sexualized objects, giving them equal standing with men. The chador thus becomes a symbol of liberty and not a confinement. The gun not only creates a division in her face, the sign of her identity, but also represents the separation between what it means to be a woman in her culture and in western society. Even though Neshat is the woman in the photograph, this is not meant to be viewed as a self-portrait, but rather an icon of womanhood.

This image represents women in quite a different way. Naveed Nour’s Temptation is part of The Mystery of the Pomegranate series. The pomegranate is a symbol of love and fertility in the Persian culture. Nour repeats the image of a half-veiled woman set against a mob of

11

distinct men. Women as a whole are thus embodied as “temptation” for each and every man.

Shadi Ghadirian’s work, Untitled, is from Like Everyday, a series that challenges the preconceptions of women in Islamic states. The women featured wear distinct, colorful chadors, as opposed to the more typically represented black veils. Each woman’s face is covered by a different household item, suggesting an element of individuality framed in the stereotypes of female domesticity.

Bahman Jalali’s Image of Imaginations, combines the portrait of women taken a century ago with the defaced sign outside the Chehrehnama, a photo studio which was closed after the Revolution. The vandals had used red paint in an effort to ruin a studio which housed pictures of unveiled women. Jalali’s juxtaposition of the mutilated sign with female portraits brings the past and the present closer together and contrasts their reaction to the pictures of women.

What follows is a brief description of the exhibition programs, which will also shape the audience’s understanding of the Iranian culture and the role of women within it.

The opening night of the exhibition, Saturday, December 21, 2013, coincides with Yalda, the feast of the longest night of the year in Iran. Traditionally, Iranians gather with close ones and stay up until sundown, reading Hafez poetry and enjoying pomegranates and watermelons. This celebration at the exhibition will also include themed beverages and personalized Hafez verses and translations, which much like fortune cookies, are used to interpret one’s future.

There will also be a series of lectures focused on the theme of Iranian women as artists. The first talk by the curator is a discussion of the female artists whose work shapes the exhibition. Shirin Neshat, an artist who is represented in the exhibition and whose influential work embodying the different roles of the Iranian

12

woman has achieved world renown, gives a talk on her struggles as an exiled Iranian artist. Golshifteh Farahani, an exiled actress known for her diverse career, comments on her work in Iran and experiences with cultural setbacks.

Gallery talks are also part of the public programming. The curator of the exhibition walks visitors through her favorite objects in the exhibition. Shiva Balaghi, Past Associate Director of Near Eastern Studies at NYU and current Visiting Professor of Iranian Studies at Brown University will give a tour of the exhibition and her take on the show.

A film series provides another perspective on the topic. Women without Men gives us a view of women’s rights today as compared to the turbulent Iran of 1953, when a coup removed the democratically elected government. A Separation is Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning movie that deals with issues of divorce and the struggles of a Muslim woman. The Hidden Half, one of Tahmineh Milani’s influential movies, demonstrates female revolutionaries and their problems after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, especially political imprisonment. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical story of a young girl forced into exile during the Islamic Revolution, is adapted into film based on her graphic novel of the same name. Tahmineh Milani’s movie, Two Women, portrays the struggles of women with achieving professional success and their battles with domestic violence in the early years of the Islamic Republic.

Concerts and performances by well-known female musicians add yet another layer to the exhibition. Gordafarid, the first female Naqqal, recites and performs verses from the Shahnameh, the Book of the Kings, written nearly 1000 years ago by Ferdowsi. Lily Afshar, the first woman in the world to receive a Doctorate of Music in Guitar Performances, blends Persian and Western musical themes. For younger adults, Abjeez, a sister duo and their band, will perform their

13

satirical pop songs, which aim to break down stereotypes and international barriers.

The closing night of the exhibition, Friday, March 21, 2014, coincides with Nowrooz, the Persian New Year. Traditionally, Iranians gather with friends and family around the Haft Seen (the seven S’s), a spread which signifies fertility, opulence, and nature’s rejuvenation on this first day of Spring. The visitors will not only enjoy Persian appetizers, but will also end their experience of the exhibition on the beginning of a new year for Iranian women.

14

Introductory LABEL The Islamic Revolution of 1979 resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi Dynasty under Shah Mohammad Reza. The Shah was replaced by Ayotollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Revolution, and the Islamic Republic became the official government of Iran. Women of Iran, Women of Islam investigates the role women played in the events before, during, and following the overthrow of the Shah, as depicted in the black and white photographs by Abbas displayed in “Revolution” at the beginning of the exhibition. As “Religion” became the lens through which women of Iran were viewed after the birth of the Islamic Republic, the second subject the exhibition tackles is the religious practices of this society. Love too is an all pervasive theme in Persian culture and literature. This subject was reinterpreted in the new Islamic Republic by artists like Farah Ossouli in “Romance.” The central focus of the exhibition is “Revelation,” which examines the Iranian woman’s perception of herself, as well as how she is seen through the eyes of others.

15

Sub PANELS Revolution Women, especially those with more conservative backgrounds, were just as active in the Revolution as their male counterparts. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944), an Iranian artist now living in France, photographed the events during and following the fall of the Shah. His haunting black and white photographs shape this gallery of the exhibition. These images chronicle the major role of women in demonstrations, both for and against Khomeini, and those active in the occupation of the American Embassy.

Religion The topic of religion became unavoidable in the lives of women after the birth of the Islamic Republic and many later served as spiritual leaders, a concept addressed in this gallery. Islam is the lens through which most western societies tend to view Middle Eastern women, and the aim of this section of the exhibition is to show that religious extremism is not the only perspective.

Romance Love is an all pervasive theme in Iranian culture and literature. This subject has been reinterpreted in the new Islamic Republic by the work of various female artists presented in this gallery. “Romance” not only tackles a traditional and specifically Persian idea of love, but also presents the women of Iran as sharing a deep sentiment with those of other cultures.

16

Revelation This central gallery, “Revelation,” contrasts the work of female and male artists and focuses on the Iranian woman’s perception of herself, as well as how she is seen through the eyes of others. This gallery also makes an implicit suggestion to the visitor: that the art of women artists enjoys the same quality as the work of their male counterparts.

17

Chat LABELS Revolution

Female Students at Art Exhibition, 1977. Abbas(b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, Abbas photographed female students and professionals a few years prior to the revolution. In this image, two women are shown as they take notes in an exhibition of African Art organized by Empress Farah’s foundation. The Empress was a great patron of the arts and made various contributions to education and cultural reform.

18

Woman at Pro-Shah Demonstration, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR155213 This image is one of Abbas’ iconic photographs of the revolution. The woman holds a “rial” bill over her right eye at a rally supporting Mohammad Reza Shah. She represents him as “the light of her eyes,” a way to say dear or precious in Iranian culture. Her diamond-encrusted ring and fur coat suggest her degree of affluence, an attribute associated with the devotees of the king during the Revolution.

19

Supporter of the Shah is Lynched, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR63 A mob of revolutionary men march forward, lynching an elderly female supporter of the Shah. The young man to her right is thought to be a secret service agent, since he was later photographed saving the woman with the help of the Army.

20

Veiled Woman Displays Handwritten Poster, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232606 The woman’s poster reads: “I want to die for my homeland. I want to be buried in the Cemetery of the Martyrs for Freedom.” Wearing a chador, a long veil, was at this time a sign of backwardness and not in line with the Shah’s modernizing ambitions, attracting many religious women to the Islamic Revolution.

21

Woman Hands out Flowers, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232605 During an anti-Shah demonstration, a woman hands out a flower to a young boy. Flowers were given out to bystanders in an effort to encourage them to join the revolt. Anxiety is evident in the faces of the boy’s father and older sister, as they try to distance themselves from the revolutionary woman.

22

Forouz Rajaifar, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232662 The subject of this photograph, a student holding diplomats hostage inside the American Embassy in Tehran, stands guard with her submachine gun. Today, Forouz Rajaifar, the figure shown here, is the Secretary General of the “Commemoration Headquarters for the Martyrs of Islam’s World Movement,” an organization aiming to celebrate Muslim martyrs in Iran.

23

Religion

Samaneh Nik (left) and Assistant, 2005. Paolo Woods (b. Italy, 1970) Photograph, Artist’s Collection The woman on the left holds a PhD in theology and is head of one of Mashhad’s religious seminaries for women. She is an acknowledged expert on morality and offers marriage counseling to pilgrims at the Shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shi’a Imam. Paolo Woods places flowers on the table in a way that the women shape a heart, not only symbolizing Nik’s marriage counseling, but also familiarizing us with the otherwise distant figures.

24

His Lantern, 2006. Afruz Amighi (b. Iran, 1974). Woven polyethylene or Pe-Cap and Plexiglas, CMA Afruz Amighi incorporates various religious symbols and traditional motifs of Islamic Art. His Lantern, the first in her series of shadow installations, adopts the format of a prayer rug with an arch based on a mihrab of a mosque as a major focus of attention. An elaborately designed chandelier within the work physically aids in the creation of the shadow by letting light penetrate through. Upturned flames form the name of Allah.

25

Romance

Anticipation, 2009. Farah Ossouli (b. Iran, 1953) Artist’s Collection Farah Ossouli’s work draws inspiration from the courtly romance themes of Persian literature. The agony of an unconsummated love is painfully evident in Anticipation. This two-piece painting portrays the couple as separated, quite physically, by the division of the canvas. The man awaits his lover eagerly, as his drinking vessel can only be filled by her wine.

26

Ten Poems from Hafez, 2004. Jila Peacock (b. Iran, 1948) Silkscreen, poems on Japanese paper, British Museum

Jila Peacock uses verses from the poetry of Hafez in creating her zoomorphic calligraphy. Animals mentioned in the poems, like the peacock seen here, are enlivened through the nasta’liq script, developed in the fifteenth century for writing in Farsi. Part of this poem reads: “Until your hair falls through the fingers of the breeze, my yearning heart lies rent in two with grief… Wafting tresses in the perfect garden of your face, drop like a peacock falling into paradise”

27

Round Dance, 1992. Shirazeh Houshiary (b. Iran, 1955) Etching on paper, British Museum

In her set of five color etchings, Shirazeh Houshiary transcribes the poetry of years past. The words are not meant to be legible, but work to create various forms. The shapes here refer to the rotation of the earth and the planetary system. The following part of Jalal al-Din Rumi’s poem complements the work: “Walk to the well. Turn as the earth and moon turn, circling what they love. Whatever circles come from the center.”

28

Revelation

Rebellious Silence, 1994. Shirin Neshat (b. Iran, 1957) B&W RC print and ink, Artist’s Collection This work exposes the unknown liberties of women in a chador. This concealment keeps women from becoming sexualized objects, giving them equal standing with men. The chador thus becomes a symbol of liberty and not a confinement. The gun creates a division in her face, the sign of her identity. It also represents the separation between how women are viewed in different cultures.

29

Untitled, 2000-2001. Shadi Ghadirian (b. Iran, 1974) Artist’s Collection This photograph is from Like Everyday, a series that challenges the preconceptions of women in Islamic states. The women featured wear distinct, colorful chadors, as opposed to more typically represented black veils. Each woman’s face is covered by a different household item, suggesting an element of individuality framed in the stereotypes of female domesticity.

30

Tehran Prostitute, 2008. Shirin Fakhim (b. Iran, 1973) Artist’s Collection This sculpture is part of the Tehran Prostitutes series. The growing number of prostitutes in the Iranian capital is a major problem, despite the country’s international reputation for Islamic extremism. Fakhim uses humor to address issues surrounding the Persian working-girls. Made from found materials, her sculptures are grotesque configurations, exaggerating stereotypes of wig-wearing, melon-chested prostitutes stuffed into ill-fitting lingerie.

31

Temptation, 2008. Naveed Nour (b. Germany, 1963) Artist’s Collection Naveed Nour’s work is part of The Mystery of the Pomegranate series. The pomegranate is a symbol of love and fertility in the Persian culture. Nour repeats the image of a half-veiled woman set against a mob of distinct men. Women as a whole are represented as “temptation” for each and every man.

32

Special PROGRAMS Lecture Series Saturday, January 11, 2014 | 2 pm Brown Auditorium | No tickets required The first talk in a series of lectures that examine the role of Iranian Women as Artists. The Curator, Roshi Ahmadian, focuses on the female artists whose work shapes the exhibition. Saturday, January 25, 2014 | 3 pm Brown Auditorium | Free tickets required Shirin Neshat, an artist who is represented in the exhibition and whose influential work representing the different roles of the Iranian woman has achieved world renown, gives a talk on her struggles as an exiled Iranian artist. Saturday, February 15, 2014 | 5pm Brown Auditorium | Free tickets required Golshifteh Farahani, an exiled actress known for her diverse career, comments on her work in Iran and experiences with cultural setbacks.

Gallery Talks Saturday, January 18, 2014 | 2 pm Meet at exhibition entrance Roshi Ahmadian, Curator of the exhibition, explains the theme of the show and her favorite objects Saturday, January 25, 2014 | 2 pm Meet at exhibition entrance Shiva Balaghi, Past Associate Director of Near Eastern Studies at NYU and current Visiting Professor of Iranian Studies at Brown University will give a tour of the exhibition and her take on the show.

33

Films Sunday, January 19, 2013 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $10 general admission; $7 LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club and Academy members Women without Men gives us a view of women’s rights today as compared to the tumultuous Iran of 1953, when a coup removed the democratically elected government. Friday, January 31, 2014 | 6 pm Bing Theater | $10 general admission; $7 LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club and Academy members A Separation is Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning movie that deals with issues of divorce and the struggles of a Muslim woman. Sunday, February 16, 2014 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $10 general admission; $7 LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club and Academy members The Hidden Half, one of Tahmineh Milani’s influential movies, demonstrates female revolutionaries and their lives after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, namely political imprisonment. Friday, February 28, 2014 | 6 pm Bing Theater | $10 general admission; $7 LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club and Academy members Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical story of a young girl forced into exile, is based on her graphic novel of the same name. Sunday, March 16, 2014 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $10 general admission; $7 LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club and Academy members Tahmineh Milani’s movie, Two Women, portrays the struggles of women with achieving professional success and their battles with domestic violence in the early years of the Islamic Republic.

34

Concerts and Performances Friday, January 17, 2014 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $25 general admission; $18 LACMA members and seniors; $5 for students with ID Gordafarid, the first female Naqqal, recites and performs verses from the Shahnameh, the Book of the Kings, written nearly 1000 years ago by Ferdowsi. Friday, February 14, 2014 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $25 general admission; $18 LACMA members and seniors; $5 for students with ID Lily Afshar, the first woman in the world to receive a Doctorate of Music in Guitar Performances, performs her classical music, synthesizing Persian and Western themes. Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 pm Bing Theater | $25 general admission; $18 LACMA members and seniors; $5 for students with ID Abjeez: For younger adults, Safoura and Melody, a sister duo, and their band will perform their satirical pop songs, which aim to break down stereotypes and international barriers.

Nowrooz Festivities Friday, March 21, 2014 | 5 pm BP Grand Entrance| $15 general admission; $11 LACMA members and seniors; $7 for students with ID The closing night of the exhibition coincides with Nowrooz, the Persian New Year and the first day of Spring. Traditionally, Iranians gather with close ones around the Haft Seen (the seven S’s), a spread which signifies fertility, opulence, and nature’s rejuvenation. Come see what the Haft Seen is all about and enjoy traditional Persian appetizers along with a cash bar.

35

LACMA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EXHIBITION: WOMEN OF IRAN, WOMEN OF ISLAM ON VIEW: DECEMBER 21, 2013 -‐ MARCH 21, 2014 LOCATION: RESNICK PAVILION

LACMA PRESENTS GROUNDBREAKING EXHIBIT ION INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POST-‐REVOLUTIONARY IRAN

(IMAGE CAPTIONS ON PAGE 6) (Los Angeles, November 11, 2013)—The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Women of Iran, Women of Islam, a major international loan exhibition, which explores the place of women in Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over 50 objects are exhibited on loan from various American and Iranian collections. “We hope that the exhibition will inspire a reexamination of the role of Iranian women after the Islamic Revolution,” says Roshi Ahmadian, Curator of the exhibition. “Women have played a major part in shaping Iranian culture ever since, and there are many aspects of their lives that have scarcely been represented, until now.”

The Islamic Revolution of 1979 resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi Dynasty under Shah Mohammad Reza. The Shah was replaced by Ayotollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Revolution, and the Islamic Republic became the official government of Iran.

36

The exhibition investigates the role women played in the events before, during, and following the overthrow of the Shah, as depicted in the black and white photographs by Abbas displayed in “Revolution” at the beginning of the exhibition. As “Religion” became the lens through which women of Iran were viewed after the birth of the Islamic Republic, the second issue the exhibition challenges is the religious practices of this society. Love too is an all pervasive theme in Persian culture and literature. This subject was reinterpreted in the new Islamic Republic by artists like Farah Ossouli in “Romance.” A central focus of the exhibition is “Revelation,” which examines the Iranian woman’s perception of herself, as well as how she is seen through the eyes of others.

The exhibition catalog, published by LACMA, represents the collective research of an international group of contributing scholars, including Shiva Balaghi, Venetia Porter, Linda Komaroff, and led by exhibition Curator Roshi Ahmadian.

Yalda Festivities

Lecture Series: Iranian Women as Artists

Gallery Talks

Films

Concerts and Performances

Nowrooz Festivities

This exhibition is organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Sponsored by Honar Foundation.

Additional funding is provided by the American Foundation for Contemporary Iranian Art (AFCIA).

Since its inception in 1965, LACMA has been devoted to collecting works of art that span both history and geography and represent Los Angeles's uniquely diverse

37

population. Today, the museum features particularly strong collections of Asian, Latin American, European, and American art, as well as a contemporary museum on its campus. With this expanded space for contemporary art, innovative collaborations with artists, and an ongoing Transformation project, LACMA is creating a truly modern lens through which to view its rich encyclopedic collection.

5905 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax Avenue), Los Angeles, CA, 90036 | (323) 857-6000 | lacma.org

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–5 pm; Friday: 11 am–8 pm; Saturday, Sunday: 10 am-7 pm; closed Wednesday

Adults: $15; students 18+ with ID and senior citizens 62+: $10

Members; children 17 and under; after 3 pm weekdays for L.A. County residents; second Tuesday of every month; Target Free Holiday Mondays

(Left) Abbas, Woman at Pro-Shah Demonstration, 1979, Magnum Photos. Photo © Magnum Photos

(Center) Paolo Woods, Samaneh Nik (left) and Assistant, 2005, Paolo Woods Collection. Photo © Paolo Woods

(Right) Naveed Nour, Temptation, 2008, Naveed Nour Collection. Photo © Naveed Nour

For additional information, contact LACMA Communications at

[email protected] or (323) 857-6522. # # #

38

Images of OBJECTS Revolution

1. Female Students in Chemistry Lab, 1977. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232574

39

2. Salon Owner (Left) Welcomes Client, 1977. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR210148

40

3. Female Students at Art Exhibition, 1977. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232564

41

4. Woman at Pro-Shah Demonstration, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR155213

42

5. Supporter of the Shah is Lynched, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR63

43

6. Veiled Woman Displays Handwritten Poster, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232606

44

7. Demonstration, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR282147

45

8. Woman Hands out Flowers, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232605

46

9. Forouz Rajaifar, 1979. Abbas (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR232662

47

Religion

10. Samaneh Nik (left) and Assistant, 2005. Paolo Woods (b. Italy, 1970) Photograph, Artist’s Collection, 1074

48

11. An Art History teacher in her house, 2005. Paolo Woods (b. Italy, 1970) Photograph, Artist’s Collection, 1070

49

12. Veiled Threats, 2005. Maliheh Afnan (b. Palestine, 1935) Ink on paper overlaid with gauze, h: 60, w: 42 cm. British Museum, Brooke Sewell Permanent Fund, 2005 7-12 01

50

13. His Lantern, 2006. Afruz Amighi (b. Iran, 1974) Pe-Cap and Plexiglas, h: 254, w: 177.8 cm. Cleveland Museum of Art, The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2012.15

51

14. Jewish Temple in Hamedan, 2008. Damon Lynch (b. New Zealand, 1972) Photograph, Artist’s Collection

52

15. Friends, 2008. Damon Lynch (b. New Zealand, 1972) Photograph, Artist’s Collection

53

Romance

16. Anticipation, 2009. Farah Ossouli (b. Iran, 1953) Gouache on cardboard, Two pieces, h: 65, w: 50 cm each. Artist’s Collection

54

17. And Someone Comes, 2007. Farah Ossouli (b. Iran, 1953) Gouache on cardboard, h: 75, w: 110 cm. Artist’s Collection

55

18. Honeymoon, 2008. Farah Ossouli (b. Iran, 1953) Gouache on cardboard, h: 75, w: 75 cm. Artist’s Collection

56

19. Love and Death from Shahnameh Series, 2007. Farah Ossouli (b. Iran, 1953) Gouache on cardboard, h: 110, w: 75 cm. Artist’s Collection

57

20. Ten Poems from Hafez, 2004. Jila Peacock (b. Iran, 1948) Silkscreen, poems on Japanese paper, h: 33.1, w: 43.2 cm. British Museum, Brooke Sewell Permanent Fund, 2006 2-8 01

58

21. Round Dance, 1992. Shirazeh Houshiary (b. Iran, 1955) Etching on paper, h: 77, s: 76 cm. British Museum, 1995 11-8 05

59

Revelation

22. Rebellious Silence, 1994. Shirin Neshat (b. Iran, 1957) B&W RC print and ink, h: 35.6, w: 27.9 cm. Artist’s Collection

60

23. Untitled, 1998. Shadi Ghadirian (b. Iran, 1974) Photograph, gelatin-silver bromide print, h: 23.97, w: 16.35 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Art of Middle East Acquisition Fund, Ralph M. Parsons Fund, M.2008.35.11

61

24. Untitled, 2000-2001. Shadi Ghadirian (b. Iran, 1974) C-print photograph, h: 183, w: 183 cm. Artist’s Collection

62

25. Image of Imaginations, 2002. Bahman Jalali (b. Iran, 1944) Photograph, h: 42.5, w: 42.5 cm. Private Collection

63

26. Untitled, 2006. Paolo Pellegrin (b. Italy, 1964) Photograph, Magnum Photos, PAR323843

64

27. Laughing Turkoman Woman, 2008. Damon Lynch (b. New Zealand, 1972) Photograph, Artist’s Collection

65

28. Temptation, 2008. Naveed Nour (b. Germany, 1963) Photograph, Artist’s Collection

66

29. Liberation, 2008. Naveed Nour (b. Germany, 1963) Photograph, Artist’s Collection

67

30. Tehran Prostitute, 2008. Shirin Fakhim (b. Iran, 1973) Ceramic, textiles, wig, h: 92.50, w: 70, d: 69 cm. Anonymous Owner

women of iran, women of islam exhibition portfolio

Documents