This picture, taken by my father while living in Iran 30 years ago, is all I have about that country that -for some reasons- I finally didn't cross.
I knew an Iranian artist. Not much, but our discussions always enlightened me. She was strong, and most of all loved her country.
Last week she has been put in jail.
All my toughts goes to her, her family and all people suffering in Iran today
I love that kind of vintage photos, which say more then thousand words.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I also had something to say that day...thank you anyway
ReplyDeleteI hope your friend will be alright. I wonder why she's in jail? Is it because of her artistic pursuit for freedom? I always envy artists fighting with totalitarian regimes, they have what to fight for...
ReplyDeleteAll I have is the hope that "thanks to" this "experience" she will be even better and stronger fighter!
Her artistic pursuit always been atypical.
ReplyDeleteIn Iran nowadays you prefer to muzzle your artists instead of hearing what they have to say.
Truth is very often hard to hear, even if I'm quite sur there is no particular reason why she only see the sun throuh a cage today...
Unfortunately, I have no idea how are doing artists in France but in Poland the status quo also could be described as muzzling. Artists here also are sentenced for their art. Ok, there is one case actually, the case of dorota nieznalska. Read here: http://www.raster.art.pl/english/artykuly/nieznalska.htm
ReplyDeleteAnother example - exhibition ARS HOMO EROTICA is planned for june 2010 in The National Museum in Warsaw but who knows if it will happen because it's being protested by politicians. As it offers a radically different approach to the history of art, rethinking and queering the canons of representation., it's becoming a political thing. Some fat bastards caught the idea of gaining some votes and will protest that exhibition. Can you imagine that? But of course it's nothing in comparition with sanctions and discrimination of artists and curators in the '90 when "critical art" emerged.
Coming back to Iran thing. Have you ever considered culture as a weapon? do you know why Communism fell apart in Europe?
In brief: because of Pope, in choosing whom CIA had been helping. Civil rights are of course very important, but let's be honest this game is not about that.
a brutal repression of free expression in all of the cases. The "powers that be" appropriate "Art" that is not seen as a threat to the status quo...ie. art as business. Self-censorship is hell. Historically, artists have been able to get their message to the public by using multi-layers of metaphor and allusion. Dont despair, life happens in an instant, in your community, and in your own context....and you have a voice.
ReplyDeletebut you have to admit that context of prison cell would might make you speechless for a while ?
ReplyDeleteabsolutely speechless, imprisonment of an artist...and an innocent, is a crime against the mind and body.
ReplyDeletegruzJa
ReplyDeletejakis wandal rozbil niebo
nieskonczonym dzwiekiem cieplych harf posypaly sie odlamki
oczy zalaly sie fala najasniejszego belkitu
spekaniami zmeczonej skory poplynela kropla krwi
zapszczajc korzenie
patrzylem z wlasnej celi
niewinnie skazany
the truth is hard to hear, it's true.
ReplyDeleteoften, people like sweet lies.
sorry about your friend. i hope she is ok, gets out reasonably soon and still has a vibrant spirit after :)