Persian Silver: Contemporary Photography from Iran
February 24—March 8, 2004
Persian Silver was a milestone exhibition. Iranian photography has been actively exhibited in Europe, but little of it has been seen in the United States. This was the very first survey of contemporary photography from Iran presented in the U.S. Twenty artists, each exhibiting four pieces, represented the current range of photographic work in Iran. About the work in the exhibition, curatorial consultant Gary Hallman, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, commented:
The universal appeal of art is powerfully mediated both by the culture producing it and by the culture in which it is received. Of all the art forms, the medium of photography delivers detailed specifics that make cultural differences all the more interesting. The artistry presented in the Persian Silver exhibition is crafted by some of the most renowned and articulate photographers of Iran. Its fortunate arrival (in the U.S.) is most timely because of our distance from the breathtaking beauty of the Islamic arts, and our growing interest in it.
Iran has distinguished itself with the spectacular quality and international presence of its film and visual art. Iranian films have been screened by the University Film Society and at International Film Festivals in Minneapolis. The work of Shirin Neshat has been shown at the Walker Art Center, and Scheherazade, an exhibition of contemporary art by Muslim women, was featured at the El Colegio Gallery (now known as Mira) in Minneapolis during the winter of 2003. A Breeze from the Gardens of Persia, a survey of contemporary painting by Iranian artists, has recently toured the United States. Likewise, Persian Silver was a rare and timely opportunity for Midwestern audiences to see some of the finest creative photography coming out of Iran.
Background on the exhibition: Gary Hallman, Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Art, spent several years working on an exchange exhibition with the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. In April of 2000, Hallman traveled to Tehran where the museum hosted an exhibition of his work. This exhibition led to friendships with the director, the staff, and friends of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. During his visits with Ali Reza Sami-Azar, Director of the museum, they discussed the possibility of collaborating on an exchange exhibition of American and Iranian photography. Despite the red tape and bureaucratic tangles that accompany an international art exchange, these two exhibition projects were milestone events. Given the backdrop of attention increasingly focused on the art and culture of Iran, and now, on the political crisis in that part of the world, a shared project of this kind is most timely. As Sami-Azor wrote in letter to Hallman, it will highlight “artists as a group who pay attention to cultural dialogue and discourse between nations.” Hamid Severi was the appointed curator for Persian Silver.
