“The 11th Annual Contemporary Art Persbook Exhibition”
Title: “Zero – Waste”
December 2021
Tehran, IranShahr Gallery
Curator of this period: Neda Darzi
Documentary film production: Harf-e Honar Studio
Virtual space partner: Peyvast Platform
The 11th Annual Persbook Exhibition, curated by Neda Darzi with the theme “Zero – Waste” was held in January 2022 at the Iranshahr Gallery in Tehran.
In this edition, artists aimed to raise audience awareness about the current state of the Earth and the environmental crises of modernity, focusing on the impact of these issues as studied by ecologists and sociologists. The most significant and concerning form of pollution highlighted is plastic waste. The goal of “Zero – Waste” is a public challenge to reduce the amount of non-degradable waste that is produced, buried, incinerated, or released into the waters to zero. Essentially, the zero-waste movement seeks to encourage each individual to participate in responsible production and consumption, thereby helping to reduce waste (Reduce), reuse (Reuse), and recycle (Recycle), alleviating the burden on the Earth.
At the 11th Annual Persbook Exhibition, works by Mahdieh Abolhasani, Maryam Ashkanian, Reza Babajani, Aydin Bagheri, Hedieh Tutunchian, Keyvan Pournasrinajad, Setareh Hoseini, Sadegh Khalifeh, Ghazal Zare, Arezou Zargar, Shermin Shalbaf, Shaya Shahrestani, Farideh Ebadi, Esmail Ghanbari, Behnam Kamrani, Narges Mohammadian, Samaneh Matlabi, Masoumeh Mohtadi, Amir Nasiri, and Toktam Hemmati were showcased to the audience.
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Persbook 11th Edition Executive Team:
– Curator: Neda Darzi
– External Section Curator: Sanam Samaniyan
– Adjunct Section Curator: Setareh Hoseini
– Researchers: Parnian Tusi, Azalia Shah Nazari
– Waste Expert: Sajjad Hoseini
– Graphic Designer: Reza Babajani
– Motion Graphics: Bita Amel
Documentary Film Production: Harf-e Honar Studio
Virtual Space Partner: Peyvast Platform
External Section: Footprints of Life; A Review of Hoda Zarbaf’s Works
Hoda Zarbaf (1982-2020), an Iranian-Canadian artist, shocked contemporary sculpture with over 50 of her works. In her brief but impactful artistic career, Zarbaf illustrated the role of memory using found items that embody the footprints of a person’s life, such as second-hand socks, YouTube videos, worn-out t-shirts, home movies, old monitors, orphan dolls, and abandoned furniture. She juxtaposed these discarded, forgotten, and seemingly useless household objects with newly formed elements to confront the viewer with nostalgia in a contemporary context.
For Persbook, in an Instagram Live session, Sanam Samaniyan (Toronto-based curator) will provide a brief overview of the history of presenting recycled art, using Hoda Zarbaf’s work as an example. Having worked closely with Zarbaf over the years, Samaniyan will showcase her collaborative journey through the following four collections:
– Soft Spirits (2015)
– Flowery Volumes, Time Travelers (2016)
– We Are Image Machines (2018)
– Dear, I’m Home (2020)
Adjunct Section: We Are Nature
In the 11th Persbook, we aim to present a virtual exhibition of works by young and pioneering artists on environmental issues. This exhibition will help to increase the visibility of young artists’ works in the post-Corona era, allowing their innovative ideas to be seen by the art community.
These works will be displayed on Persbook’s virtual page in February 2022.
