ARTICULATE: Ink of Light opens Friday 4 August 6-8pm

31.7.17

Ink of Light opens Friday 4 August 6-8pm

Open Fri - Sun 11am - 5pm, 5 - 20 August 2017

Ink of Light Launch Saturday 5 August 2 pm
Ink of Light will be launched by:
Ms Nazanin Marashian, Founder of Iranian Women Visual Artists Collective Australia (IWVAC)
Please rsvp to inkoflightcollective@gmail.com by 2 August

Public program - details below
MEDIA RELEASE

Ink of Light is a collective of artists including Negin Chahoud, Shadi Eshragi Mehrzad Mumtahan, Kath Podger and Monir Rowshan, who are staging an exhibition as a personal response to experience of persecution. The collective aims to use their art to highlight human rights abuses in Iran against a group of seven ordinary individuals (The Yaran), arrested simply because of their role as members of the adhoc leadership group for the Baha'i community and their beliefs as Baha'is—beliefs which the artists share.

To honour the lives, and draw attention to the imprisonment of these law-abiding citizens, the collective proposes to create art works that engage with the project space as well as with the viewers/audience. This will be done through creating spaces in which the works of each artist would tell a unique story where the viewers could stand or sit silently and engage or converse with the works. The project also includes the interactive, collaborative and onsite creation of art, performance art, storytelling and musical performances.

Public Program for Ink of Light exhibition:

Sunday 6 August from 2-3.30 PM

In conversation with artists Shadi Eshragi and Mehrzad Mumtahan

Response to timelessness

Shadi Eshragi
Shadi Eshragi’s work is based around the themes of physical confinement, inner strength and spiritual freedom. Her work explores the dignity and nobility of the prisoners and their peaceful response to their prolonged incarceration. This is a child friendly programme with a some drawing activities for children and parents based on some of Shadi’s works in the exhibition.

Performance art by a child- Ava Eshragi

Tea with Mehrzad

Mehrzad Mumtahan

Mehrzad Mumtahan’s work aims to put a human face on otherwise forgotten family members of the prisoners, their separation and longing to be with their loved ones, the lost years and deprivation of being in each other's company, missing the simple joys of life, like having tea with a sibling. He invites the viewer to have a deeper understanding and a more personal experience by seeing the hidden faces of other victims of this injustice who are the prisoners on the outside, by looking into their eyes and feeling their pain, imagining their sorrow for a moment.

The subject matter of his works "Tea with Behrouz” and "Look at me" is the brother of one of the prisoners Amin Tavakoli. On this day Mehrzad will talk about his work over a cup of tea and answers questions.

Saturday 12 August from 2-3 pm

Perfume of the poetry

Poetry performance by James Evans read from the book “Prison Poems”
Poems from Prison Book written by Mahvash Sabet whilst in prison (one of the seven prisoners). Prison Poems is adapted from the original Persian language (by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani)

Musical Calligraphy by Persian classical musicians

Reza Karami - Ney (an ancient wind instrument similar closest to the sound of a human being)
Ardalan Esfaniary - Santour (An ancient string instrument)
Pedram Ramin Pour - Daf (A powerful hand held drum used in Persian and Kurdish music)
Sahand Merkhavari - Tombak (A small hand held drum used in Persian music)

Saturday 19 August from 2-3 pm

The anguish of love
In conversation with Negin Chahoud, Kath Podger and Monir Rowshan

Artists Negin Chahoud, Kath Podger and Monir Rowshan will speak about the making of their works and their personal connection to the concepts used in the exhibition.