::: V O I C E S ::: IRAN
Mit Trauer und Entsetzen beobachten wir als Vertreter:innen der Institutionen, die im Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser verbunden sind, das brutale, menschenverachtende und tödliche Vorgehen der iranischen Behörden gegen die Protestierenden, die sich für Menschenrechte und Gleichberechtigung im Iran einsetzen. Die sieben Spielstätten des Bündnisses haben alle eine jahrzehntelange, intensive Verbindung zu iranischen Künstler:innen und Companies. Hier öffnen wir unter dem Titel ::: VOICES ::: IRAN eine stetig wachsende Galerie, in der iranische Künstler:innen mit ihren Beiträgen auf ihre Situation aufmerksam machen können. Das Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser möchte sich so mit den Protestierenden und den Inhaftierten im Iran solidarisch zeigen, ihnen ein Forum bieten und dazu beitragen, dass der Protest im öffentlichen Diskurs bleibt und Sichtbarkeit erlangt. Der Fokus liegt dabei zunächst auf Künstler:innen im Iran, denen der Zugang zu Plattformen erschwert ist. Um keine Personen zu gefährden, werden die Beträge zum Teil anonymisiert veröffentlicht. ::: VOICES ::: IRAN ist ein Projekt des Bündnisses internationaler Produktionshäuser, kuratiert von Ozi Ozar und Sahar Rahimi. /// As the seven institutions that make up the Alliance of International Production Houses, we would like to express our grief and horror at the brutal and inhuman behaviour exhibited by Iranian authorities against protesters fighting for human rights and gender equality in Iran. Each of the venues in our alliance has enjoyed deep connections to Iranian artists and artistic companies for decades. And now, under the title ::: VOICES ::: IRAN, we have launched an online gallery designed to provide a forum for submissions from Iran-based artists. In doing so, we hope to call greater attention to the struggles and dangers these individuals face. We are also eager to show our solidarity with prisoners and protesters in Iran, in this case by inviting Iranian artists to contribute their work to an ever-growing online platform. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the protest maintains its visibility and continues to form a key part of the public discourse. The focus is initially on artists in Iran who do not have easy access to platforms. In order not to endanger any individuals, some of the contributions are published anonymously. ::: VOICES ::: IRAN is a project organised by the Alliance of International Production Houses and curated by Ozi Ozar and Sahar Rahimi.
Golnar Narimani (August 2023)
„Jina Revolution: A Revolution of Bodies“
The Jina revolution in Iran which was ignited by the brutal murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in September 2022 by the morality police in Tehran, has fundamentally changed many things in Iran, and will continue to do so. It might not look like a raging river in the streets nowadays, but it has been like a long rain whose waters have been absorbed to earth, quenching the seeds of tomorrow’s victory tree and moving beneath the surface like the blood veins of a living body.
[ANONYMOUS] (August 2023)
„Lotus Effect #4“
„Lotus Effect #4“ is an on-going study of found footage videos and sounds that investigates recent events in Iran. The interactive Installation tries to approach the different aspects inside and outside the country which affects and triggers the ongoing and recurrent resistance in Iran.
The viewer is encouraged to move the cursor over the videos to get a clearer image.
[ANONYMOUS] (August 2023)
„High School (College) of Transformation – دبیرستا ِن دگرگونی“
Something that is always full of surprises and excitement is the language of children and those without masks. Those who, even at the height of their playfulness, reveal their true selves before your very eyes when playing a role. Children who have brought this truth into adolescence and now into their youth. It will be seen unconsciously in the classroom and in the street, where friends and playmates of the same age are together. An unconsciousness that is the peak of everybody’s consciousness.
هار Hār (July 2023)
„Here’s My Mourning Routine“
„Here’s My Mourning Routine“ is a transmedia installation inspired by the ongoing events in Iran, including the regime’s murderous crimes and the resistance of people from different nations in Iran, both within and outside of the borders. This resistance is not only in the form of taking to the streets, but also singing anthems, doing street arts, graffiti, murals, performances etc. As an Iranian person in diaspora, I spend most of my time watching and listening to the documented events in Iran or about Iran through cyberspace, and this installation is an interpretation of my life and the lives of many more, voyeurs, distant, mourning in the darkness.
ROODY (June 2023)
„تهران مُرده – Teheran is Dead“
[ANONYMOUS] (April 2023)
„Soroode Zendegi – Anthem of Life“
During my last trip to Iran, I came across the anthem of „Soroode Zendegi“, which translates into „Anthem of Life.“ I had gone to Iran to meet my friends and family before the fall semester of my university began to alleviate my homesickness. However, just a few days after my return to Tehran, the murder of Jina Amini occurred, followed by a series of protests and murderous oppressions. As her grandfather wrote on her grave, Jina did not die; her name became a code—a code to create the first-ever feminist revolution. Despite the anxiety and disturbance caused by the news, my friends and I gathered day and night, watching videos of mass protests in other cities after hours of struggle to connect to the Internet. We went to the streets with anger and fear, and we cried for „everyone to be together“…
AZADEH GANJEH (February 2023)
„Reclaiming the Stage“
I…, a member of the Iranian Theatre family, in empathy and companionship with the „Women, Life, Freedom“ Movement, declare:
- I won’t perform on a stage where „women“ or men are forced to perform in Hijab.
- Thereafter, my productions won’t stage bogus bodies and imposed atmospheres. I will try to stage the reality of „Life“.
- In loyalty to „Freedom“ I won’t give in to censorship in any condition, any format, any time, any place, and any government or state.
This Manifesto is not a suicidal end to my artistic life rather, it makes me free cause we are now aware that any space is a stage…
[ANONYMOUS] (February 2023)
„Future“
Streets do not have their daily rhythm anymore. Every sentence and breath outside the house has changed its context and meaning. Existence in this harrowing situation has become a form of resistance. During the past few years, the circle of curators and active members in the culture scene, especially the theater field, has dropped immensely…