Creative and Critical Studies, Faculty of (Okanagan)
DSpace
UBCO
Pirhadi, Nasim
Master of Fine Arts - MFA
University of British Columbia
My work explores the conflicts surrounding women’s inequality in Iran. In my artwork, I use material transformation, installation art, cultural and symbolic references as methods through which I reflect on women’s problems in Iran. Iranian women are struggling to establish their status in a highly patriarchal society. This struggle, alongside the looming specter of violence they are subjected to as retaliation for resisting their oppression, creates an unrelenting fear that, no matter how hard they fight, all their efforts may be wasted at any moment. There is a Persian proverb that best articulates this fear in relation to my work: “whatever I weave is unraveled again” (Soheili 184). Similarly, as fabric that can be unwoven, I create fragile networks of intertwined ideas and materials in order to represent women’s vulnerability in Iran and the fearfulness they have no choice but to live with every day. In creating vulnerable structures subject to material disruption, I symbolically explore women’s constant underlying terror, their lack of independence, and the material challenges that fill the space of their absent rights to emphasize the tangible or practical challenges that women face and refers to the physical, real-world consequences and obstacles that women encounter as a result of their marginalized status. Regarding crime and punishment, personal freedoms (employment and travel), and legal status (marriage, divorce, and inheritance), Iranian law does not consider women equal citizens. This kind of systemic violence is a shared and disruptive experience every Iranian woman faces. As an Iranian woman myself, I forcibly create space to tell the stories of those of us who live through the reality of this oppression. Whilst all my work is in some way reflective of this ongoing struggle, certain aspects of my thesis project focus on the current unrest unfolding in response to “the murder of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini, who was violently detained, brutalised, and killed by the morality police for not sufficiently covering her hair under the compulsory hijab” (Ghadery).
Zoorkhaneh: A Whisper of Empowerment in Iran's Gender Struggle By Nasim Pirhadi M.A. in Painting, Islamic Azad University Tehran Central Campus, 2017 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Visual Arts) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) August 2023 © Nasim Pirhadi, 2023 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: Zoorkhaneh: A Whisper of Empowerment in Iran's Gender Struggle submitted by Nasim Pirhadi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. in Visual Arts. Examining Committee: Samuel Roy-Bois, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisor Tania Willard, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Megan Smith, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Melissa Jacques, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies University Examiner iii Abstract My work explores the conflicts surrounding women’s inequality in Iran. In my artwork, I use material transformation, installation art, cultural and symbolic references as methods through which I reflect on women’s problems in Iran. Iranian women are struggling to establish their status in a highly patriarchal society. This struggle, alongside the looming specter of violence they are subjected to as retaliation for resisting their oppression, creates an unrelenting fear that, no matter how hard they fight, all their efforts may be wasted at any moment. There is a Persian proverb that best articulates this fear in relation to my work: “whatever I weave is unraveled again” (Soheili 184). Similarly, as fabric that can be unwoven, I create fragile networks of intertwined ideas and materials in order to represent women’s vulnerability in Iran and the fearfulness they have no choice but to live with every day. In creating vulnerable structures subject to material disruption, I symbolically explore women’s constant underlying terror, their lack of independence, and the material challenges that fill the space of their absent rights to emphasize the tangible or practical challenges that women face and refers to the physical, real-world consequences and obstacles that women encounter as a result of their marginalized status. Regarding crime and punishment, personal freedoms (employment and travel), and legal status (marriage, divorce, and inheritance), Iranian law does not consider women equal citizens. This kind of systemic violence is a shared and disruptive experience every Iranian woman faces. As an Iranian woman myself, I forcibly create space to tell the stories of those of us who live through the reality of this oppression. Whilst all my work is in some way reflective of this ongoing struggle, certain aspects of my thesis project focus on the current unrest unfolding in response to “the murder of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian iv Jina Mahsa Amini, who was violently detained, brutalised, and killed by the morality police for not sufficiently covering her hair under the compulsory hijab” (Ghadery). v Lay Summary This research focuses on the conflicts surrounding women's inequality in Iran. Through my artwork, I explore the challenges faced by Iranian women in a patriarchal society and the constant fear of violence they endure. I depict their vulnerability and the practical obstacles they encounter due to their marginalized status. vi Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Lay Summary ................................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Breaking the Single Story: Iranian Women's Fight for Freedom and Equality . 1 1.1 The Yellow Jacket................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 1979, The first emblem of women's resistance following the Islamic revolution! ............... 5 Chapter 2: Fluid Forms and Fragile Networks .......................................................................... 6 2.1 Reimagining Power ............................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Protoplast ............................................................................................................................ 10 2.3 Interconnected Tones .......................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Staying Hydrated 1 ............................................................................................................. 18 2.5 Staying Hydrated 2 ............................................................................................................. 21 Chapter 3: A Tapestry of Transformations.............................................................................. 24 3.1 Say Her Name #... ............................................................................................................... 24 3.3 2017 The Girls of Revolution Street ................................................................................... 30 3.4 2022 Uprising...................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 4: Zoorkhaneh............................................................................................................... 37 4.1 The Short Entrance ............................................................................................................. 40 4.2 The Tools ............................................................................................................................ 42 4.3 Performance with the Tools ................................................................................................ 47 4.5 The Smell of Zoorkhaneh ................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 5: Closing Remarks...................................................................................................... 57 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 61 vii List of figures Figure 1 - Protoplast, Theerta Red Dot Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka (2020) .............................. 12 Figure 2 - Eva Hesse, Contingent, 1969 © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. 14 Figure 3 - Eva Hesse, Repetition Nineteen III, 1968, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA /Art Resource, NY. ......................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4 - Staying hydrated 1, FINA Gallery, UBCO (2021) ...................................................... 21 Figure 5 - Staying hydrated 2, UBCO (2022) ............................................................................... 22 Figure 6 - Staying hydrated 2, Detail of the tubing, UBCO (2021) .............................................. 24 Figure 7 - Say her Name, the wall, Fina Gallery, UBCO (2022) ................................................. 26 Figure 8 - Say her Name, Installation view, Fina Gallery, UBCO (2022) ................................... 28 Figure 9 - We are countless, 19.6 ft (2023) .................................................................................. 29 Figure 10 - We are countless, Detail (2023) ................................................................................. 30 Figure 11 - We are countless, detail (2023) .................................................................................. 31 Figure 12 - We are countless, Detail (2023) ................................................................................. 33 Figure 13- Inside a Traditional Zurkhaneh HOUSE OF STRENGTH, © www.Jeremysuyker.com....................................................................................................................................................... 38 Figure 14- Inside a Traditional Zurkhaneh HOUSE OF STRENGTH, © www.Jeremysuyker.com....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 15 - The Short Entrance, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023).............................................. 41 Figure 16 - Installation view, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) .................................................. 43 Figure 17 - Meel, weight:12 kg, height 36” diameter 8.6” (2023) ............................................... 44 Figure 18 - A pair of Sangs, each 17”. 11”. 2” (2023) ................................................................. 45 Figure 19 - A pair of Push up boards, each 31". 3".3" (2023) ...................................................... 45 Figure 20 - Zang, Copper, Diameter:10.5 inches (2023) .............................................................. 47 Figure 21 - Meel Giriftan, still of the video performance (2023) ................................................. 48 Figure 22 - Sang Gireiftan, still of the video performance (2023) ............................................... 49 Figure 23 - Charkhidan, still of the video performance (2023) .................................................... 50 Figure 24 - Still of the video performance (2023) ........................................................................ 51 Figure 25 - Meel Greiftan, still of the video performance (2023) ................................................ 52 Figure 26 - A pair of Sangs, each 17”. 11”. 2” (2023) ................................................................. 53 Figure 27 - Meels, each: 27 kg, height 36” diameter 8.6”, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) ..... 54 viii Figure 28 - Installation view, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) .................................................. 55 ix Acknowledgment I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Samuel Roy Bois. Your expertise, guidance, and constant support have been instrumental in shaping this thesis. I am truly grateful for your insightful feedback, and valuable suggestions. I would also like to thank the members of my thesis committee, Tania Willard and Megan Smith for your invaluable time and expertise. Your critical insights have been invaluable in shaping the direction of this thesis. I am deeply grateful to the FCCS and the Audain Museum for graciously awarding me the Audain Travel Award, which greatly influenced and encouraged the process of creating my artwork. I extend my deepest gratitude to the FCCS Staff for providing me with the necessary resources and facilities to carry out this research. The support from Kaila, Philip, Connor, Joanne, Sam, Shauna, and Lindsay has been truly remarkable. Their assistance has facilitated the smooth progress of this project. Special thanks are extended to Kaila and Philip for their consistent presence and unwavering commitment in the wood shop, as they tirelessly contributed their ideas and expertise to help me create my work. I also extend special thanks to instructors who I was able to support through TA, Nathalie Hager, Jacen Dennis and Myron Campbell as well as other instructors at FCCS, Nancy Holmes, Briar Craig, Renay Egami, Shawn Serfas, David Doody, Patrick Lundeen and Andreas Rutkauskas for sharing their knowledge and experience. I am also indebted to my husband Mehdi, for his love, encouragement, and understanding throughout this demanding endeavor. His support enable(ing)ed me to overcome challenges and persevere in this academic pursuit. I would like to express my appreciation to my friends and colleague at UBCO Gallery who have offered their support and encouragement throughout this journey. Stacey, Ryan, and Caolan your stimulating discussions, and support have been a constant x source of motivation. Many thanks to Dante Nieuwold for not only being a dear friend but also for joining me in the studio every Wednesday, where we created together, fostering a space of inspiration and growth. xi Dedication To Mehdi 1 Chapter 1: Breaking the Single Story: Iranian Women's Fight for Freedom and Equality 1.1 The Yellow Jacket The restrictions that the Islamic Republic imposes upon women’s autonomy, bodily and otherwise, begin long before girls become women. When I was a child, I loved riding my bicycle, and I used to ride my bike everywhere I could. However, after I turned fourteen, I was forbidden to ride, not by legal restrictions, but through conservative religious norms being forcibly imposed on women’s bodies by state-supported clerics. This ban, while not legally established, is used to keep women from the freedom of riding bicycles in public spaces. In response to this imposition upon me, I decided to wake up at five am every day and go to the northern neighborhood in darkness, where I could pedal as much as I wanted before daylight. That helped me control my anger about not cycling during the day, and the satisfaction of breaching such unwritten absurd norms was very fulfilling. These limitations extend to the types of self-expressions that women are permitted in public, even if these forms of self-expression adhere to the morality police's standards of modesty. They are not just restricted to embodied activities. My mother got me a yellow jacket for my thirteenth birthday, and the day after my birthday I wore it to school. I liked yellow then. Girls over seven are required to wear a manteau and a headscarf in school and, once they turn eleven, are required to wear a chador overtop whilst outside as well. I followed all of these expectations but wore my jacket to school overtop of my manteau. My principle however, advised me not to wear it again, not because this jacket flouted the rules, but because the colour yellow was too loud. After getting that yellow jacket, I didn't want to conceal its beauty behind the black chador. I'd carry the black chador under my arm and put it on near the school. The principal contacted me 2 practically every day to tell me that not wearing my chador on the way to school would hurt my disciplinary grade. The morality police arrested me on the way to school one day and told me to stop wearing this jacket. I was unaware of the brutality experienced by children of my age at the time. I had no knowledge of women's rights or the freedom to wear whatever one wants. I was a kid. I simply liked my yellow jacket. I made deliberate choices to adopt a personal tone, rather than structuring my reflection around theories that may be expected to be fond here, such as feminist theories. By relying on my own experiences, emotions, and reflections into the analysis, I aimed to create a more intimate and accessible connection with the subject matter. This approach allowed me to bridge the gap between academic discourse and lived realities, thereby engaging a wider audience beyond the confines of specialized academic circles. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian author, gave a TED Talk titled "The danger of a single story". Her remarks were thought-provoking to me. She suggests that if we simply take in one perspective regarding a group of people, a nation, or a circumstance, we run the danger of embracing that perspective as if it were the complete truth about a given situation. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete; they make one story become the only story” (Adichie 13:03 - 13:17). “We must seek diverse perspectives; we must tell our own stories. Telling the stories that only we can tell, about our experiences, hopes and fears, helps break down the power of cliches and stereotypes. Stories matter. The presence of multiple stories matters. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity” (Adichie 17:29 - 17:45). As I tell stories 3 throughout my work, I do not want my story to become the single story that causes people to generalize and make wrong assumptions about Iran. While it may not be universally guaranteed, I believe that the freedom to make one's own choices should be regarded as a fundamental right that should be accessible to all human beings. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, where the authoritarian regime has entrenched the gender binary through a network of both codified and unspoken edicts, women find themselves engaged by a formidable array of restrictions that stifle their every decision, constrict their agency, and suffocate their ability to move through the world on equal footing with their male counterparts. Iranian women feel injustice, limitation, and discrimination with their skin and flesh, and this awareness makes them into demanding and persistent fighters. These fighters are challenging the limitations existing within Iran’s present day, and shaping future freedoms they will gain. Today several anti-feminist laws reaffirming women as second-class citizens are enacted and enforced in Iran by people who benefit from the patriarchal system. These are some of the articles from the “Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran”: Article 1041: Marriage before the age, of majority, is prohibited. Note -Marriage before puberty by the permission of the Guardian and on condition of taking into consideration the ward’s interest is proper (103). Article 1105: In relations between husband and wife the position of the head of the family is the exclusive right of the husband (109). Article 1114: The wife must stay in the dwelling that the husband allows for her unless such a right is reserved for the wife (109). Article 1117: The husband can prevent his wife from occupations or technical work which is incompatible with the family interest or the dignity of himself or his wife (110). 4 Article 1169: A mother has preference over others for two years from the birth of her child for the custody of the child and after the lapse of this period custody will devolve on the father except in the case of a daughter who will remain under the custody of the mother till 7 years (115). Article 1170: If the mother becomes insane or marriage another man during her period of custody, the custody will devolve on the father (115). Women have lost many of their primary rights that were well-established and widely accepted before the 1979 Revolution, and this instability has left them in a situation where they are continually negotiating safety that is nominally bequeathed to them but is never guaranteed. A woman can, if she’s careful and hyper aware of her surroundings, go through a whole normal daily routine untroubled – she can go grocery shopping in a headscarf that shows a few inches of hair, drive her car and swivel her head and allow her hijab to slip for a moment before readjusting it, push her sleeves up in response to the heat and have her forearms be exposed in public, and then she can return home safely. However, that same woman can do those same things, but if she’s seen by a morality policeman having a bad day, or a man who felt undermined by his boss, or a particularly conservative woman whose adaptive preferences have allowed her to benefit from the oppressive system she exists within, could be arrested, brutalized, or killed for these infractions. For example: Sepideh Rashnoo was released on bail on August 30, 2022, while she awaits her trial. – Charges filed against a woman in Iran, Sepideh Rashnoo, after she was accosted by another woman who accused her of failing to comply with the government’s compulsory hijab law, highlight the state’s repressive stance towards those who engage in civil disobedience, and the courage of those who strive for basic rights despite harsh adversity. Rashnoo Arrested, Beaten, Forced to Make Statements on State TV ("Sepideh Rashnoo: Latest Target"). 5 1.2 1979, The first emblem of women's resistance following the Islamic revolution! Prior to the 1979 revolution, women's status in Iran was different, as Mehrangiz Kar and Azadeh Pourzand, state in their article “Iranian Women in the Year 1400: The Struggle for Equal Rights Continues: Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iranian women achieved major progress including the right to vote in 1963 and the right to divorce through the Family Protection Act, passed in 1967 and revised in 1975, which also restricted men’s absolute right to divorce. During the rule of Iran’s last monarch, women also served as representatives in the Parliament and as judges and were appointed to influential positions in middle and upper management in various government entities. None of these rights came to fruition without resistance, including from many Shia clerics—most notably Ayatollah Khomeini. In addition, the advancement of women’s rights benefited mostly urban and educated women, not impacting less affluent socioeconomic classes of women in society at large. Meanwhile, a revolution in which millions of women participated en masse in hopes of achieving more freedom resulted in major setbacks in gender equality. Following the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic revoked the majority of the legal improvements instituted under the shah and adopted a long list of discriminatory laws and practices against women. The most notable was, and continues to be, the compulsory veil, or hijab, instituted by Ayatollah Khomeini. This led to a large protest by women on International Women’s Day on March 8, 1979 (3). From the initial years at school the hijab was required, I remember the principal and teachers utilised numerous measures to convince us to adhere to the systemic enforced covering, and to convince us to forget our actual appearance, and to believe that what we are wearing is our own choice. The women's demonstration against the mandatory hijab on March 8, 1979, was perhaps the first emblem of women's resistance following the revolution. Although the voices of women's protests were suppressed at the beginning of the revolution, and their demands and concerns were under the pretext that they were not the priority of the revolutionary goals. Throughout these years women's resistance for their rights was formed and gradually became a daily struggle. A photograph, dated March 8, 1979, shows a woman standing in front of a clergyman. This lady seems to be shouting at the guy in the picture as she stands on top of a car with her hair pulled 6 back and is waving a finger in front of his hands as a warning. The woman's face is filled with power, as if she knows what age of history she is entering and what suffocation and oppression awaits women, so she fights to regain control over herself and other women with the movement of her hands and the sound of her scream. After the severe repression of the protesters, the smothering and suffocation prevailing in society prevented women to form a collective movement. However, their individual actions kept the flame of the battle for women’s rights alive. In those years, instead of waiting for a broad uprising, women changed their daily behavior, transforming it into a protest, and started a one-woman revolution. Chapter 2: Fluid Forms and Fragile Networks 2.1 Reimagining Power My artwork is generated, both as a reaction to and a defiance of the prevailing political tumult in Iran. The work I’m doing in my thesis project is actively confronting and exploring the ways Iranian women fight for their rights. I am able to explore the complexity of Iranian women's rights activism via this creative approach. My work reflects a sentiment of antagonism to the turbulent and unstable political environment now prevailing in Iran. It is a response to the oppressive forces endangering the fundamental human rights of the Iranian people, particularly those of the women who are striving for a legitimate status in society. I want to draw attention to the myriad of difficulties Iranian women confront, and to their continuous fights for autonomy, justice, and equality. My artistic practice itself is a form of resistance. The works I'm presenting for my thesis serve as a platform for Iranian women's voices. They are a physical manifestation of the tenacity and resiliency that characterize Iranian women who are struggling 7 for their rights. I want to use my artwork to further the conversation on the significance of human rights and the urgency to do more to support Iranian women. One response to this confrontation is through the 2023 installation Zoorkhaneh, which consists of the re-creation of a zoorkhaneh within the gallery space. A zoorkhaneh is a traditional gym that only men are allowed to enter and participate in, and whose name translates to House of Strength. There is an old belief that women are not pure enough to enter these sacred places, and that the inherent corruption of womanhood makes them undeserving of titles like ‘hero’ or ‘champion’. By re-creating a zoorkhaneh within a gallery space, I control and arrange the space, populated with the reimagined tools that define a new sort of traditional Persian gym. “Eventually, the gallery itself becomes, like the picture plane, a transforming force” (O’Doherty 45). In "The Subject and Power," Michel Foucault posited a theoretical framework that proposed an insightful reading of the interplay between power and freedom: The relationship between power and freedom’s refusal to submit cannot, therefore, be separated. The crucial problem of power is not that of voluntary servitude (how could we seek to be slaves?). At the very heart of the power relationship, and constantly provoking it, are the recalcitrance of the will and the intransigence of freedom. Rather than speaking of an essential freedom, it would be better to speak of an “agonism” —of a relationship which is at the same time reciprocal incitation and struggle, less of a face-to-face confrontation which paralyzes both sides than a permanent provocation (790). According to Foucault, understanding power requires taking into account the importance of both freedom and resistance. The dynamic interaction between opposing forces that continually test and stimulate each other is what he highlights when he talks about how power relationships are not a one-sided imposition of control. In creating a zoorkhaneh in the gallery space, I am reinscribing traditional power structures and rewriting them to embody the collective actions Iranian women are taking to gain their freedom. By installing a zoorkhaneh within the gallery setting, I sought to confront the exclusive customs prevalent it maintains. Through this work, I aim 8 to construct an alternative space that welcomes individuals of all genders, enabling them to partake in activities traditionally associated with these environments. This creation involves a process of constructing a transformative space that encapsulates the essence of the zoorkhaneh while fostering inclusivity. Participants are encouraged to question dominant narratives by engaging with the wooden tools and subverting Iranians patriarchal norms and values. Iran's power structure, which is defined by limitations on the freedoms of speech, association, and assembly as well as prejudice towards certain groups including women and religious minorities, is seen to be primarily controlled by politicians, the clergy, and the police. Many individuals see Iran's political system as harsh and dictatorial. “Despite the plurality of formal institutions and the existence of process, decision-making remains heavily centered on a small group of largely unelected individuals driven as much by ‘regime expediency’ as by mutual give-and-take along informal, micro factional lines. While he may have the last word, even Iran’s current Supreme Leader is constrained by these ideological, negotiation and structural factors” (Lim 149). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has a considerable impact on Iranian politics, society, and the economy (IRGC)1. They have been accused of abusing human rights, including stifling political dissent, and torturing prisoners, and are in charge of maintaining Sharia law. Many Iranians are fearful and skeptical of the police. While they are charged with upholding law and order, they have come under fire for violently suppressing dissidents and nonviolent protestors. Power and freedom are hotly disputed concepts in this environment, and many Iranians see their fight for liberation as a direct confrontation with the repressive power structures they must contend with. 1The IRGC was officially inaugurated by Khomeini’s decree on May 5, 1979, with the express but vaguely defined purpose of protecting the revolution and its achievements. Despite the constitutional exhortation of “brotherly cooperation and harmony” between the IRGC and the Artesh, implicit in this was the bulwark it would serve against the latter which until then had been loyal to the Shah (Lim 157). 9 The materials I employ in the production of my work affect the resulting form and content as well as my creative process and the outcome. They influence the process of how I conceive my work, as well as how viewers relate to it. I often choose mediums that enable me to explore the profundity of my views and experiences in a variety of ways through their material embodiment. My practice is multi-disciplinary, including installations, video art, sound, drawing, and performance for camera. My process generally begins with gathering found material, documenting the progress, and creating initial concept sketches. I typically aggregate all my observations and findings together and spend time observing and reflecting on these assembled materials. To discover a materials' potential, I experiment with them. I assess their qualities, going beyond visual inspection to evaluate factors such as texture, flexibility, durability, and even smell. I manipulate the materials by moving them around and exploring their various forms. This studio process allows me to learn about the new material on a deeper embodied and tactile level. My oeuvre is frequently associated with found objects. When I refer to my "utilisation" of found materials, I am alluding to how I incorporate these objects into my artistic practice. I do not use found materials indiscriminately, as my use of such found materials is site-specific, recognizing that the location or environment in which I create my work impacts the materials I choose to use. I am intrigued by material that has a strong connection to a certain place, context, or cultural significance. This method enables me to establish a dialogue between the artwork, the surroundings, and the observer and produce a piece of art that aims to naturally integrate an existing environment. For instance, while I was working on an installation project titled bystanders (2018) in Sri Lanka, I collected coconut shells from the local area to incorporate into my work. These shells carried a strong cultural significance, as they are commonly used in Sri Lankan cuisine and as a traditional material in various crafts and practices. The process 10 of gathering material from nature, which could sometimes take days or month, is a repetitive and meditative procedure that remains central to my practice. When materials are relocated from their original location to my studio, they take on a new significance Putting all these observations and findings together creates the foundation for a new story emphasizing the plurality of narratives woven through my artistic process. 2.2 Protoplast Protoplast (2020) is an installation I presented at Theertha Red Dot Gallery in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It featured eight translucent balloons filled with water, each of them was approximately the size of a large beach ball. Although they were too heavy to be picked up, your hands wouldn’t quite touch if you were to attempt to hold them in your arms. They were all installed on the floor of the gallery and linked to one another with clear tubing, and each balloon contained a different amount of basil seeds. I choose basil seeds to work with because of their texture and plasticity. In Farsi, the word for basil is ‘Reyhan’, which is also a common female name, so, basil seeds and the gelatinous mass they create upon contact with water are embodying female kinship networks. I associate the way that basil seeds swell twice their size and bond together upon coming into contact with water as representative of the misogynistic fears surrounding the contagious nature of women’s drive for freedom – if one woman is fighting for it, she might ‘infect’ other women around her with the same ideas. This was a time-based installation, and day by day the balloons turned into a different gray tonality from very light to dark depending on the amount of the basil seed inside them. The balloons which had most basil seeds inside them turned into darker gray, and the ones with less basil seeds turned lighter gray. The title, “Protoplast”, refers to plant cells with the cell wall removed; they are in a condition of instability and are continually breaking down to a certain 11 extent. Similarly, the balloons themselves are also vulnerable to environmental instability: there was a constant fear that the balloons may burst at any moment. That, along with how their shape is reminiscent of women’s breasts, tied these balloons metaphorically to women’s status in Iran and the uncertain fear they must live with. I wanted to use the vulnerability of the balloons to make the spectators feel the fear of being in a vulnerable situation. One of the balloons burst during the opening, and the viewers were first shocked by the loud bang and then were worried about the possibility of another balloon bursting. This event was not planned, but the outcome did match the message I wished to convey which was that of the unstable and unpredictable situation that women face in Iran, unintentionally demonstrating and affirming the use of creative practices as modes of study that Natalie Loveless argues for when she writes: “research-creation follows desire and builds spaces and contexts that allow time and space to experiment in unpredictable directions” (Loveless 70). Protoplast is an installation that embodies contradiction. On the one hand, it displays the vulnerable situation of women in Iran, and on the other hand, it positively anticipates their future. The balloons are connected by tubing which portray the nature of unity, and, whilst they were vulnerable on the first day of the exhibition, over time, the rigidity of the rubber increased due to the presence of basil seeds in them, especially the darker ones with more seeds. The unifying gelatinous mass helped those balloons change into more resilient objects, which became representative of the networks Iranian women create. It also serves to illustrate the notion that the more of us stand united against oppression, the stronger we become. Surprisingly, at the end of the show when I was taking it down, the resistance of the balloons had increased so much that I couldn’t even burst them with a sharp knife. 12 Figure 1 - Protoplast, Theerta Red Dot Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka (2020) 2.3 Interconnected Tones The artistic practice and methodology of German American artist Eva Hesse have profoundly influenced my work, inspiring me to embrace the fluidity of nature and the simplicity of materials. Her post-minimalist approach, exemplified by some of her final works such as “Contingent 1969, “Vinculum I 1969” and", “Repetition 19 III 1968” which were predominantly composed of unconventional materials for its time such as latex and fiberglass, were the focus of my attention during my research and study of her work. Art critic Christopher Knight stated in an art review for Los Angeles Times that the “mathematical repetition of geometric forms is basic to Minimalist sculpture of the period, but the irregularities of its industrial material, its fleshy luminescence and its visual appeal to tactile values 13 aren’t. Eros slyly makes its way into Hesse’s art, too, carried by intimations of the inseparability between the beauty and mortality of the flesh” (Knight). Eva Hesse's artistic creations were associated to the Minimalist art movement, yet her work is perceived as having transcended the Minimalist principles. This divergence is because Minimalism endorses highly strict and exacting impersonal concepts that concentrate principally on the formal attributes of sculpture (clear geometry, repetition, symmetry), a mathematical approach, and simplified structures. Eva Hesse's artistry is reverent of some Minimalist principles, exemplifying highly formal and structured pieces, but with a distinctive personal touch, incorporating the artist's hand-rendered blemishes, resulting in more vibrant and idiosyncratic works of art. The powerful artwork by Hesse “Contingent” (1969) displays repetition and order, while also celebrating diversity and spontaneity. It has unconventional shapes and colors with a distinct tonality, creating a unique and powerful composition. The work, which consists of eight pieces suspended in the space, is full of feelings The remarkable quality of Eva Hesse’s work is the tangible and immediate proximity that is inherent to the work. There is an inviting quality to her creations that fosters a dialogue between the viewer and the piece. “Contingent” (1969) conveys a message that implies a unifying force that binds us together. This bond can be interpreted as both the network-like structure of the artwork, and the physical connections created through the intermingling of different parts. The pieces in the installation are individually unique, and the relationships between them vary in subtle ways. As in Hesse’s work, the varying tonalities in each component, the use of distinct lines or pieces that are interconnected yet possess unique characteristics, are qualities essential to my artistic vision. These are evident not only in my drawings but also in my installation and video works. Hesse’s works inspired me to embrace the 14 inherent characteristics of materials and utilize them to craft pieces that convey a sense of impermanence representing vulnerability of women in Iran. Figure 2 - Eva Hesse, Contingent, 1969 © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. “Contingent” as shown at the Finch College assembly “Art in Process IV,” held in the winter of 1969 and reproduced on the cover of Artforum in May 1970” (Pincus-Witten). Along her art works was a statement that she wrote: . . . Piece is in many parts. Each in itself is a complete statement, together am not certain how it will be. a fact. I cannot be certain yet. can be from illness, can be from honesty. Irregular, edges, six to seven feet long. textures coarse, rough, changing. See through, non see through, consistent, inconsistent. Enclosed tightly by glass-like encasement. just hanging there. then more, others. will they hang in the same way? try a continuous flowing one, try some random closely spaced, try some distant far spaced. they are tight and formal but very ethereal. sensitive, fragile. 15 see through mostly (qtd in Pincus-Witten). Eva Hesse's approach to artmaking is characterized by a willingness to allow the materials to guide the creative process. As she argued in an interview with Cindy Nemser, “As you work, the piece itself can define or redefine the next step, or the next step combined with some vague idea ... I want to allow myself to get involved in what is happening and what can happen and be completely free to let that go and change” (Nemser). For Hesse, the creative process was an organic and fluid one, where the artist collaborates with the materials to create something that transcends the limitations of preconceived idea or concept. Her willingness to embrace the unexpected and be open to change allowed her work to evolve and transform in different ways. This approach gave her work a sense of spontaneity and freedom, as it flowed from one step to the next, guided by the materials themselves. Hesse stated: Everything is process and the making of my work is very interesting, but I never thought of it as “now I am rolling, now I am scraping, now I am putting on the rubber.” I never thought of it for any other reason than the process was necessary to get to where I was going to get to...[P]rocessing the materials becomes important because I do so little with them. I do so little else with the form, which I guess is the absurdity. […] I don’t want to use them [latex and fibreglass] as casting materials. I want to use them directly, eliminating making molds but making them directly at the moment out of some material. In that sense, I’m interested in the process (qtd in Rahtz 114). I am interested in discovering new ways of working directly with materials. I view my studio time as the occasion to enable a series of discrete actions that will eventually form the final product. I usually document the process and the different stages of my work. This approach of working through process resonated with my artistic practice. It emphasizes the importance of the process of creation and the inherent value in exploring the possibilities of materials. I value the level of freedom that comes with this process—a liberating experience that contrasts with the oppressive circumstances in Iran. The process of working freely with materials can be seen as a 16 means of exercising freedom, both in the artistic realm and in the face of external limitations, emphasizing that the process itself becomes an act of resistance. I incorporate repetition of forms and elements to create a sense of rhythm and movement while also accentuating the tactile qualities of the materials themselves. By repeating an element in an installation, I can create emphasis and convey the message more effectively. It allows me to magnify the impact of my ideas. Through repetition, I can draw attention to certain forms and textures and explore their possibilities. Through exploration of the properties of materials, I have discovered that the repeated use of basil seeds and tubing can infuse my work with a sense of continuity and sameness. Contrarily, this repetition also highlights the ephemerality and fragility of these elements, emphasizing their transient character. Utilizing this contradictory aspect allows me to weave various elements of my work together to form a coherent whole. This repetition acts as a metaphor, highlighting the vulnerable position of women in Iran and emphasizing the multitude of narratives interwoven throughout my artistic process. Figure 3 - Eva Hesse, Repetition Nineteen III, 1968, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA /Art Resource, NY. 17 Eva Hesse emphasizes the importance of repetition as a means of artistic expression, explaining the rationale behind her repeated use of forms in her work: "Because it exaggerates. If something is meaningful, maybe it’s more meaningful said ten times. It’s not just an aesthetic choice. If something is absurd, it’s much more exaggerated, more absurd if it’s repeated … I don’t think I always do it, but repetition does enlarge or increase or exaggerate an idea or purpose in a statement" (Nemser). Eva Hesse's artworks reflect the era in which they were created, and were conceived to be experienced and appreciated in moment of their creation rather than being intended for future generations: Hesse was aware that latex is an unstable material, disposed to oxidize and turn brittle, and discolor with the passage of time...She was very aware that it was temporary. She was not defensive about it; she was offensive about it. She would say that it was an attribute. Everything was for the process—a moment in time, not meant to last.... she seems, in fact, to have been incorporating anticipation of aging and, especially, the unknown into the creation of her art... At this point, Hesse wrote I feel a little guilty when people want to buy it. I think they know but I want to write them a letter and say it’s not going to last. I am not sure what my stand on lasting really is. Part of me feels that it’s superfluous, and if I need to use rubber that is more important. Life doesn’t last; art doesn’t last (Danto). The significance of a work of art is often rooted in the specific social, cultural, and historical context in which it was created. The artworks’ enduring legacy is not solely based on the physical durability but also on its ability to evoke emotions and spark dialogue within its present moment. The transience of art reflects the transience of life. My focus lies in creating sculptures and installations that explore the subject of impermanence and fragility. I am creating fragile and organic sculptures that appear as if they could collapse at any moment. In my installations, elements like basil seeds, water, coconut shells, pine needles, and sugar, exist for a limited time. The ephemeral nature of my work is integral to its meaning; through my installations, I aim to represent the precariousness of the situations Iranian women face in their daily lives. By using natural material, I reinforce the sense of organic that is in a state of flux to create work that 18 is meant to be experienced in the present moment, rather than preserved for the future. I often create artwork that embodies a sense of evanescence, while also using materials that will naturally degrade over time. In doing so, I aim to reinforce the idea of impermanence. By embracing the ephemerality, I aim to symbolize the gradual erosion of authoritarian and patriarchal systems, mirroring the delicate yet persistent resistance demonstrated by Iranian women in their daily lives. The clear tubing filled with water and basil seeds, is arranged in a way that makes a direct reference to an organism or functioning structure. It speaks to organisation, and to a type of system of exchange. The seeds' potential for growth and regeneration connects them to the natural processes, further emphasizing the piece's organic quality. The tubing and the basil seeds embody a certain sense of corporeality that is both familiar and alien, evoking a visceral response from the viewer. By incorporating basil seeds and water in the tubing, the artwork becomes a living, breathing organism that is in a constant state of flux. The water flows through the tubing, creating sinuous forms that seem to pulse with life. This fluidity of movement and transformation reflects the cyclical nature, further enhancing the artwork's organic quality. In my practice, I fixate upon the malleability and exploration of materiality and form. In the context of my creative output, I endeavor to engage the viewer to partake in the liminal expanse situated between the realms of the organic and the artificial. The visceral nature of this response aims to provoke a confrontation between the audience's subjective corporeal sensations and perceptions with the objective corporeal embodiment of my artwork. 2.4 Staying Hydrated 1 Staying Hydrated (2021) is representative of my artistic process being changed through my relationship to my new environment, - the Okanagan in British Columbia. Every time I’ve moved to a new environment, my creative practice has entered into a dialogue with that new space and 19 has been shaped and changed by it. Whether I relocated to Sri Lanka or a village in southeast Iran, my practice has evolved as a result of my interaction with the new environment. Here, the conversation between my work and the Okanagan resulted in collecting ponderosa pine needles. “The range of the ponderosa pine extends from British Columbia, Canada, to the mountain ranges of northern Mexico and includes almost one-third of the states in the United States” (Allred 7). The official abbreviation of “ponderosa pine” is PIPO, derived by combining the first two letters of the genus (Pinus) and the first two letters of the species (ponderosa) (9). The flexible, pointed needles of ponderosa pines reach lengths of five to seven inches, making them among the longest in the pine family (24). Evergreen trees retain their needles year-round while most deciduous trees lose their leaves during the fall (10). The abscised needles accumulate as litter on the forest floor, where they slowly decompose over several years and release nutrients into the soil (25). The ponderosa pine needle is one of the materials that I have incorporated into my projects in this MFA program. On Thanksgiving 2021, I was walking around UBCO’s campus. The campus was quite empty of its usual students, and something was different. I stood there and glanced around. The UBCO’s environmental team hadn't cleaned the campus for three or four days, and many pine needles had accumulated on the ground underneath the tree in front of the FCCS building. I was drawn to these pine needles and wanted to make something with them, although I didn’t have an idea of what that something might be. I spent one month collecting pine needles and two months cleaning them. Staying Hydrated (2021) is the first piece I completed using pine needles, which was exhibited and on display at UBCO’s Fina Gallery in November 2021. The artwork consisted of pine needles and transparent tubing on the gallery floor. The tubing contained water and basil 20 seeds, and were located throughout several sections of the installation. Similar to the forms that accumulate randomly on the ground of a pine tree only to be scattered by the wind, this installation's character was fragile and impermanent. This project is the depiction of the contradiction between the dryness of pine needles and hydrated basil seeds. Hydration is the process of causing something to absorb water, process which is fundamental to life. The dry and fragile pine needles need to be hydrated in order to become stable enough to be manipulated in any meaningful way. Hydration occurs at several areas of this installation. The basil seeds inside the tubing system are themselves highly hydrated, and they play the role of remediating a society. It reveals how to heal. To achieve stability, the dry and fragile pine needles must be moistened and hydrated. In the process of incorporating vernacular materials as a mean to address foreign issues, (the situation of women in Iran), I seek to foster a connection between the artwork and its audience by using element that are familiar to the local culture. The environment we inhabit holds within it a myriad of complex factors that shape our perspectives, longings, and our cognition. As social beings, the societal construct in which we exist carries a tremendous weight in molding the contours of our reality. “Over time, people come to treat their interactionally constructed realities as objectively real conditions that organize their lives. The interactions sustain people’s senses of themselves and their lives as orderly, if not fully predictable” (Miller and Nowacek 3). From our habits to our beliefs, our environment exerts a pervasive effect on the totality of our existence. 21 Figure 4 - Staying hydrated 1, FINA Gallery, UBCO (2021) 2.5 Staying Hydrated 2 In the subsequent project, I decided to construct some cuboids out of pine needles. I formed them using various-sized containers. I stepped on the pine needles in the buckets, pressed them as hard as I could, rinsed them, and half-filled the buckets with water before covering them with plastic to prevent the moisture from evaporating during the following stage. I then compressed them with weight for 48 hours before retrieving cuboids from the containers. This work was constituted of several cubes interconnected to one another by clear tubing which were filled with water and basil seeds. By incorporating cuboid forms into my art, I aim to convey a visual language that reflects the notion of control and organization. The defined boundaries of the cuboid symbolize societal constraints and limitations, highlighting the ways in which individuals are often confined within predetermined structures. Through the use of the cuboid forms and other elements in my artwork, I aim to explore the tension between order and freedom, conformity and individuality. As Leanne Simpson, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar and writer, states in her book, As We Have Always Done: “Embodiment compels us to untie our canoes—to not just think about our canoes or write about our canoes but to actually untie them, get in, and begin the voyage” (193). 22 Simpson emphasizes the importance of embodiment and taking action, rather than just thinking or writing about something. This idea is reflected in my approach to this installation, as I sought to create a physical manifestation of unity through the movement of basil seeds and the interweaving of tubes through the cubes of pine needles. I was considering how to show the flow of water and basil seeds in my work while it was on display in the gallery space in order to make the installation more mechanical and dynamic, so I chose to utilise a pump placed inside the cubes to circulate water and basil seeds through the tubes. I intended the movement of basil seeds to be slow, unhindered, similar to siphoning the tube with my mouth. The movement of basil seeds, and the rhythmic poetry inherent in them alongside the gelling effect, is a physical manifestation of unity, the mechanism through which individual actions become collective ones. In weaving these tubes through the pine needles cubes, I am expressing my hopes that, by strengthening the connections amongst and between people, we can stand together for our rights and hold each other up. By using a pump to circulate water and basil seeds through the tubes, I created a dynamic installation that embodies the concept of collective action. The slow, unhindered movement of the basil seeds speaks to the rhythm and poetry of unity, and the interconnectedness of all things. Figure 5 - Staying hydrated 2, UBCO (2022) 23 Despite their ghostly appearance, basil seeds are living organisms, and they would ultimately sprout inside the tubes. I use basil seeds to represent female social networks. The basil seeds represent patriarchal fears about the spreading nature of women's pursuit of freedom, since they grow twice their size and join together when exposed to water. They grow notwithstanding the restrictions surrounding them. It is the same bravery that spreads. It is a representation of women whose threats, summonses, imprisonment, and tortures do not mute their legitimate voices, and who encourage others not to be scared and not to allow the oppressive system to drown their voices on the arduous and dark path ahead. The physical alterations that take place over time—the development of the basil seeds and the alteration in the installation's appearance—reflect the notions of evolution and transformation. The growth of the basil seeds and the changing appearance of the installation over time highlight the temporal nature of the work, and emphasize that the installation is not static but instead, is in a state of flux. The use of time in this work reflects the interconnectedness, as the growth of the basil seeds and the changing appearance of the installation are all interconnected and intertwined. On some of the tubes I inscribed a poem by Shams Langeroodi, a contemporary Iranian poet. I used the white correction fluid to inscribe the poem on tubing. The English translation of the poem is as follow: “Write, write, and don’t be afraid of being wrong Write and erase! Like God, that has been writing and erasing for thousands of years And we are still waiting to be erased and we tremble” (Langeroodi 571). As these words have been inscribed on the tubes repeatedly, it highlights the importance of repetition and consistency in the struggle for Iranian women's rights. The poem encourages the 24 act of writing and erasing, which can be seen as a metaphor for the ongoing fight for equality and freedom. The repetition of the poem on multiple tubes within the installation emphasizes the importance of consistency in this fight, as it takes persistence and continuous effort to effect change. By incorporating this poem into the installation, I'm making a comparison between the ongoing fight for Iranian women's rights and the idea of consistency and perseverance in the face of difficulty. The act of writing and erasing suggests that progress is often the result of trial and error. Figure 6 - Staying hydrated 2, Detail of the tubing, UBCO (2021) Chapter 3: A Tapestry of Transformations 3.1 Say Her Name #... Say Her Name #... is the title of the show that I had at FINA Gallery at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus in October 2022. The show focused on the current unrest in 25 Iran occurring in response to the murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman tortured and killed in Tehran by ‘morality’ police forces for improperly wearing a hijab. During the show, a boundary made the gallery's front entrance inaccessible. I created a barrier out of pine needles to divide the interior space from the exterior, and visitors had to use the smaller entrance to enter the gallery. To build the pine needles wall at the entrance, I required a foundation and a two-sided support to hold the pine needles within. So, I created a U-shape support out of a long piece of wood, and a very thin plastic fence holding up both sides of the U-shape. To secure the plastic fence on both sides, two pieces of wood were attached with screws to the top wall. The pine needles were pressed together within the U-shaped fencing—some were pointed and produced peaks and rifts on both sides. Communication failures was the theme of this large installation which dominated the entrance of the gallery. The fragile pine needle wall could evoke the barrier that the Islamic republic imposes on Iranians, and how it is weakening as a result of recent unrest and a rise in Iranian people's dissatisfaction with the Islamic regime. Since it was never structured in a way that could be sturdy enough to last, the wall was gradually collapsing under its own weight over the duration of the show. As Michael Walzer used the phrase “paradox of zealotry”—that it generates its own downfall” (Walzer 2022). The fact that the wall couldn't sustain itself structurally was a fortuitous occurrence in the exhibition, one that might speak to the broader struggle of how the Islamic republic is working very hard to sustain itself, but we are seeing it slowly collapsing under its own oppressive system. 26 Figure 7 - Say her Name, the wall, Fina Gallery, UBCO (2022) A statement accompanied the exhibition. Here’s an excerpt: Using pine needles, I built a wall in the entrance of the gallery to embody the restrictions the Islamic Republic imposed upon Iranian people. A wall between Women and Men A wall between Iran and the free world A wall between the dispossessed and the privileged Many people died to cross the wall Many are in prison because they think there shouldn’t be a wall Many people inside Iran are trying to connect to the free world by destroying the wall Many are risking their lives by choosing to live as though there is no wall. Many Iranian citizens outside of Iran cannot return home because of the wall Many religious and sexual minorities cannot live safely inside the wall Although my artwork was not directly inspired by Rebecca Belmore's practice, I find echo in her 1994 piece untitled (a blanket for Sara): 27 Thousands of pine needles that glimmered red, and gold were inserted through wire mesh stretched in rectangular frames in homage to a homeless woman who froze to death on the streets of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, near Belmore’s home. The work recalls the harsh circumstances of a woman’s death juxtaposed against the severity of nature. It was created with Belmore’s characteristically intense and repetitive gesture, meticulous and exhausting, perhaps as an act of perseverance against the injustices of contemporary society” (“Untitled (a Blanket for Sarah)”). Through this work I express my grief and anger over the murder of Mahsa Amini, and the communication of difficult concepts and feelings becomes an invitation to take action. I am expressing, through my work, the Iranian people's demand for change. Through my work, I seek a more just and equal society, and demonstrate my solidarity for the oppressed and impoverished. I use my work and my practice as instruments of dissent and resistance and to envision a better future. I tried to directly and concretely speak to our emotions. This exhibition, in the context of the response to Mahsa Amini's murder, conveyed the ideas, emotions, grief, and anger of the Iranian people, as well as their determination to fight for justice and equality. I decided to be more informative, so I inscribed the names of the victims, activists, and attorneys, as well as the most resonant motto of the current uprising in Iran with black paint on one of the gallery’s walls along with a hashtag and a QR code next to the words. “One resounding slogan has become the movement's rallying cry: Jin, jiyan, azadi! — or Woman, life, freedom! First chanted by mourners at Amini's burial in her hometown of Saqez, the slogan quickly spread from the country's Kurdish cities to the capital, Tehran. It took on new life in its Farsi translation — Zan, zendegi, azadi” (Bayram and Mohtasham 1). The QR codes provided further information about those words, some of which were in Farsi. The way that I inscribed the words on the wall was the same way that Iranians are now utilising the political graffiti medium to undermine the Islamic government. In order to fully capture the complexity of the situation, it is important to acknowledge the phenomenon of palimpsests in relation to the slogans painted by protesters. “A 28 palimpsest is a tablet or parchment from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make space for another text. This proposed theory investigates in what ways objects are palimpsests (literally and metaphorically), able to concurrently contain multiple meanings as each new one is inscribed over past ones” (Colwell 129). Despite the regime's agents painting over the protesters’ slogans every day, they are unable to fully erase the messages: they continue to exist beneath the new layers of paint. These layers of paint and underlying messages act as palimpsests, revealing the ongoing struggle between the regime and the protesters in Iran. The Islamic regime attempts to hide the Iranians mindset, but the persistence of the protesters demonstrates their strength and resilience. Every time a piece of graffiti is painted over, some new, or larger pieces arise the next day. In this work I painted over some of my inscription and rewrote something bigger on top of the previous one to create different layers. The street walls have evolved into a new platform for Iranians to express themselves. Even if the government paints over the graffities, it cannot conceal the reality that the majority of Iranians are opposed to the regime. No amount of paint can conceal the three words “woman, life, freedom”, words that encapsulate the aspirations of the Iranian people. Figure 8 - Say her Name, Installation view, Fina Gallery, UBCO (2022) 29 3.2 We Are Countless We Are Countless (2022) was the title of the painting in the show as well as another painting for an exhibition that I had at Kelowna Art Gallery in 2023. I created the piece using black paint on canvas in the style of the protest banners used in Iran. Utilising the monotype technique, I sketched on a piece of paper with a brush and black paint before pressing it by hand on the linen. I was inspired by the stencil prints of victims' faces on public property in Iran, which are frequently accompanied by a brief sentence or their names. In Iran, protestors employ stencil graffiti in order to expedite the process. Through using brushes, I attempted to bring myself closer to the figures to have a better sense of them as I was creating them. In this work I explore issues of belonging, diasporic self-understanding, location, and memory, as well as highlighting and calling attention to the current social and political uprising in Iran. This painting depicts intricate portraits and figures of activists and victims in varying states of protest intermingled with city motifs and street scenes from the locations of the incidents and surrounded by high-voltage power lines. The inclusion of high-voltage power lines in my painting underscores their presence in some residential areas in Iran, representing potential health concerns. Figure 9 - We are countless, 19.6 ft (2023) The work depicts some people who stand on top of utility boxes and tie their scarves to a stick; those battered and pale-faced, that are forced to confess on state television; those emaciated 30 mothers that block the road with their empty hand to the morality police's vehicles so they release their daughters; and those lifeless bodies that have committed suicide to escape the physical and mental tortures of prison even after freedom; those who were unjustly hung; and those tenacious attorneys and activists who never give up, and for whom no constraints were a barrier. There is also a depiction of some female athletes training a meel, a wooden conical-shaped tool used for exercise in a zoorkhaneh. There are also a few bicycle riders which represent me and all the women who are demanding the respect of their basic rights such as riding a bicycle freely and safely. Figure 10 - We are countless, Detail (2023) “This is not the first time that women and girls in Iran have demanded the dismantling of discriminatory laws and practices and that they have been met with intimidation, repression and violence” (“Iran: Crackdown”). It has been a long-running battle, mostly spearheaded by women in various forms. I believe we're perceiving things differently this time. The uprise is more visible, and possibly stronger than ever. 3.3 2017 The Girls of Revolution Street “Several demonstrations against Islamic republic's repression of women's rights have occurred throughout the years since the Islamic revolution, with the three most prominent and significant being in 1979, 2017 and 2022” (“In 1979”). As I have previously discussed the first 31 protest in chapter one, I will now focus on the second and third major demonstrations in the fight for women's rights. In the winter of 2017, a young woman called Vida Movahed stood on top of a utility box on Revolution Street, a busy artery in central Tehran, and dangled her white headscarf on a stick. As an act of dissent, it was strikingly peaceful, giving the appearance of a white flag of surrender. Still, by not wearing her hijab, Movahed was challenging the system’s dress codes. She stayed there for an hour, until she was arrested for breaking the law. Imagery of her silent, brave act raced around Instagram. A month later, a graduate student named Narges Hosseini performed the same defiant act on the same street. Soon, more women launched similar protests, and their movement took the name of where it all began: #TheGirlsofRevolutionStreet (“The Women of Iran”). When Vida Movahed tied her scarf to a stick, she tied the entire history of the Islamic Republic with it. She stood atop the utility box with a plain look, didn't chant or say anything, and gently requested everyone to watch a woman who wanted to enter the city wearing whatever she chose. Vida Movahed created this image of an everyday woman without a headscarf. She stressed her normality to show how women without a hijab were excluded from public spaces following the Islamic revolution. Vida Movahed made the invisible woman visible by standing on one of Tehran's busiest streets. She astonished, delighted, frightened, and inspired passersby. The goal of this action was to be noticed despite being deemed inappropriate. It also represented many years of women's protests against the Islamic Republic's mandatory headscarf, gender discrimination, and systematic misogyny. Figure 11 - We are countless, detail (2023) 32 In different parts of the painting, fragmented images of the Girls of the revolution street2 are gesturally painted, resulting in an interwoven tapestry of figures. I blended the figure of Vida Movahed with the famous edifice of Enghelab (revolution) street, Tehran-university. Tehran University is one of the top three universities in Iran, and it has historically served as a venue for a variety of political activities. I intended to highlight the presence of The Girls of Revolution Street (2017) to remind the viewers that this uprising has had a long history, and this is not the first time that Iranian women have requested the elimination of discriminating laws. These demands have gone largely unanswered despite repeated requests for the government to be held accountable and to end discriminatory laws against women and other human rights breaches. 3.4 2022 Uprising Five years after Vida Mohaved stood quietly in Enghelab street and invited the world to see her protest, hundreds of women are removing their hijabs on the tops of automobiles, dumpsters, and utility boxes in Iran's current protest. Today in Iran “as the protests have spread, young women, even high-school and middle-school students, have ripped off their headscarves and cried, “Death to the dictator” (Afary and Anderson). “The protests have featured young women standing up before crowds, baring their heads, and then cutting off their hair in an act of defiance, and in a revival of a cultural practice of women cutting their hair in mourning, which goes back as far as the eleventh century founding text of Persian literature, the Shahnameh” (Afary and Anderson). Women remove their scarves and wave them in the air. Now, the world sees the women that the Islamic Republic wished to remain anonymous and live quiet, marginalized lives. 2 Vida Movahed took off her headscarf on Enghelab Street in Tehran. “Enghelab” is the Farsi word for revolution, so the movement she inspired was soon dubbed “The Girls of Revolution Street” (Hernroth-Rothstein). 33 Figure 12 - We are countless, Detail (2023) Political philosopher Michael Walzer has written extensively about social justice and democracy. He spoke with Radio Zamaneh about the "Woman, Life, Liberty" movement in Iran and its larger implications for the fight for democracy and human rights in the nation considering the recent events in Iran, including the murder of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent demonstrations. He noted that “Men and women everywhere have the right to question their rulers, to petition for change, to speak out, to assemble and organize, to demonstrate peacefully, and to disobey civilly. We are by nature social and political creatures, and it is these rights that make social life and politics, I mean a decent social life and politics, possible” (Walzer 2022). The act of removing the compulsory head covering is becoming a rapidly spreading form of civil disobedience across various sectors of Iranian society. Civil disobedience, as practiced by Gandhi’s followers in India or black Americans (and a few whites, too) in the 1960s, requires commitment and courage of a kind less common that we wish it was. But it is an effective politics for men and women fighting for national liberation or for freedom and equality. Iranians in the streets are already giving the world a new example of the necessary commitment and courage (Walzer 2022). 34 These days, the freedom performances given by women in the city inspire optimism for Iran's overall freedom and a desire to live a life other than the one that is forced upon them. Women draw a picture of the future of Iran in front of everyone's eyes, and project the message to not be afraid to see us, and that a free Iran after victory will be as beautiful as us. “In thinking about the female body in Islam, one becomes immediately aware of how problematic and controversial the female body has been throughout history, as it has been claimed to suggest ideas of shame, sin, secret and individuality. Therefore, the female body has had to be carefully defined, controlled and concealed to neutralise its impact in the public domain” (Neshat). In such thinking the female body must be constantly repressed. Since the beginning of the 2022 revolt, representatives of the Islamic Republic have said that Iranian protesting women are seeking to be naked while chanting for women, life, freedom. This remark belittles women because of their bodies and humiliates women's actions. One of the most significant methods of subjugating and exploiting women is to devalue their bodies. Males who use misogynistic and sexist literature to attack women seek to undermine strong women by instilling feelings of shame, fear, and guilt in addition to lowering their social status and prestige. For instance, Abolqasem Talebi, an Iranian film director used such literature to attack the women of Iranian cinema who had expressed their stance and support for the recent uprising and took off their scarves in public. During a live appearance on national TV on February 2023, he used mocking and sexist language: It seems that some female celebrities consider menopause to be the fault of the Islamic Republic. When they become 50, they stop wearing their headscarves and start cursing the Islamic Republic. The same thing would occur to you if you were in the United States of America instead of to the Islamic Republic. Previously you were younger and at your peak in the film industry. Everyone has a period in their career, when they experience peak success, why do you curse the Islamic Republic? (Etemad online). Using derisive and sexist rhetoric, he aimed to undermine the courageous act of defying the mandatory hijab and redirect its significance toward an alternative interpretation. His intent 35 was to belittle the bravery and determination exhibited by these women, distorting the narrative and casting doubt on their motives, thereby diluting the power of their resistance. In spite of the government and national TV's numerous attempts to control the narrative, civil disobedience among Iranian women is on the rise. Despite a new plan by the Iranian police to crack down more severely on those opposing the wearing of the hijab -- the head covering compulsory for Muslim women -- reports and images published on social media indicate that a significant number of Iranian women and girls continue to resist the measures. Iranian women opposing the hijab also continued to post pictures of themselves without the compulsory scarf on social media, in a challenge to the new police plan to identify culprits by using smart cameras (Farda). One of the greatest achievements of the women life freedom’s movement is reclaiming women's bodies by defying the mandatory hijab and dress code. Woman, life, freedom is the emancipation of women's bodies from oppression and dominance so that no other woman's body is subjected to hate, criminalization, surveillance, control, humiliation, and sexual and gender violence. As expressed by Arezoo Asanloo, women don’t have autonomy in their sexual lives: Often the cases which adjudicate alleged offenses to public morality result in an emphasis on women’s sexuality. Indeed, the way personal status laws are structured—allowing men to marry up to four wives and to engage in temporary marriage, the latter having weak registration requirements—provides men with a great deal more autonomy in their sex lives and results in a disparate system or culture of surveillance, scrutiny, and ultimately, control over women’s sexual lives (51). The woman life freedom movement is not simply a fight against tyranny, but also against all systems based on oppression, discrimination, and injustice. As a result, the transformation of society's intellectual, linguistic, and practical underpinnings is an essential component of the better Iranian future. Artists were quick to respond to the tragedy of Mahsa Amini’s murder, creating works that expressed their grief and anger over the murder of Mahsa Amini in their own ways. Artists are demanding change and challenging the status quo. With their works, they are 36 advocating for a more fair and equitable society and expressing their sympathy with the downtrodden and underprivileged. One example of the artists responding to Amini's death is the group of unknown artists at Guggenheim Museum. In response to the recent death of Mahsa Amini, a group of anonymous artists staged a protest at the Guggenheim Museum...From the top floor of the Guggenheim’s rotunda, the artist collective, which goes by the title Anonymous Artists for Iran, unfurled 12 red banners reading “Women, Life, Freedom” and depicting Amini’s portrait. In a statement first published by Hyperallergic the New York City-based collective described the Guggenheim protest as a call for action to support the current revolution in Iran (Villa). On October 7, 2022, some of the cultural landmarks across Tehran were transformed into provocative protest art as an anonymous artist dyed some of them a striking shade of blood red. “The Persian-language Twitter account 1500tasvir, which has been monitoring the state crackdown that has killed dozens, credited the red liquid in the fountains’ basins to an anonymous artist/activist, referring to it as a protest artwork whose title roughly translates to “Tehran sinking in blood.” … According to Pamela Karimi “The beauty of it is that the artist himself or herself is anonymous. Art is not just something that you use in order to promote your own profile,” she said. Instead, it gets at something more selfless: “The anonymity shows that art is now pure activism” (Ables). I found intriguing parallels between the anonymous protest art mentioned and the themes explored in Rebeca Belmore's Fountain. “Water turns to blood. As befits our times we do not know whether this is a metaphor for creation or an apocalyptic vision” (“Rebecca Belmore: Fountain”). These pieces show anger and dissatisfaction at how the Iranian regime treats women as well as a resolve to keep fighting for their rights. Important considerations regarding the function of art in society are raised by the creative reaction to Mahsa Amini's death and the Iranian revolt. It emphasises how effective art can be as a weapon for political activity and social transformation. When utilised as instruments of dissent and resistance to envision a better future, art can help us sympathise with others. Moreover, it can be employed to fight repressive systems and ideologies. Here art is understood not as the production of messages, but rather as the production of things. Even if artists and their audience do not share a language, they share the material world in which they live. As a specific kind of technology art does not have a goal to 37 change the soul of its spectators. Rather, it changes the world in which these spectators actually live—and by trying to accommodate themselves to the new conditions of their environment, they change their sensibilities and attitudes. Speaking in Marxist terms: art can be seen as a part of the superstructure or as a part of the material basis. Or, in other words, art can be understood as ideology or as technology (Groys 1). Chapter 4: Zoorkhaneh This chapter discusses the artworks that I created for the final MFA thesis show at Lake Country Art Gallery (LCAG). In this show, I recreated the layout of a zoorkhaneh, a traditional Iranian gym restricted to men. Zoorkhaneh translates to “House of Strength”. In Iran, certain places and institutions are exclusive and reserved to men. The pernicious practice of female exclusion is deeply entrenched within the fabric of patriarchal laws and societal norms. Zoorkhaneh and stadiums are components of a much more pervasive oppressive system. It is critical to differentiate between these segregated areas and the wider dominance and subordination systems to which they belong. Even while these environments may not be blatantly oppressive, they are signs of wider patriarchal laws that marginalize and repress women. This deleterious system of control is enacted upon the corporeal form of women, resulting in an egregious curtailment of their autonomy and agency. Therefore, we are beset by a ubiquitous societal framework wherein women are egregiously deprived of access to certain spaces, cementing their status as a subordinate class of citizens, and relegating them to the fringes of our collective consciousness. The state and other influential institutions perpetuate a form of structural violence through their exclusionary practices. The many ways that social, economic, and political structures can hurt people and communities by depriving them of necessary resources and opportunities are collectively referred to as structural violence. As suggested by Akhil Gupta in Red Tape “Structural violence is a capacious term that encompasses not only the exclusion from entitlements such as food and water, but also the exclusion of certain groups from particular forms 38 of recognition (citizenship rights, equal rights before the law, rights to education, representation, and so on)” (20). In zoorkhanehs, men engage in physical training accompanied by spiritual practices, such as the recitation of poetry and religious chants. The zoorkhaneh has been a symbol of male strength and heroism, and its practitioners are revered as champions and heroes. However, the exclusion of women from zoorkhanehs has been challenged in recent years, with many women demanding equal access to these spaces. This has sparked debates about the meaning and significance of heroism, and championing in Iran, and the role of women in shaping these concepts. Figure 13- Inside a Traditional Zurkhaneh HOUSE OF STRENGTH, © www.Jeremysuyker.com One of the biggest objections against women participating in zoorkhanehs is that it would taint these settings. An argument put forth with the foundation that the inclusion and participation of the feminine gender would bring about a hindrance to the moral and spiritual advancement of their male counterparts. This outlook is perpetuated by patriarchal laws and traditions that prioritize gender segregation, modesty, and the safeguarding of women's honor. One of the most 39 overt and conspicuous manifestations of this restrictive culture is the mandatory imposition of the hijab on women who wish to participate in sports and engage in physical activities. Not only the wearing of a hijab can restrict women's movement and comfort during physical activity, it reinforces gender segregation by separating women from men in sports venues. The multifaceted, labyrinthine issues surrounding women's involvement in sports and physical activity in Iran highlight the complex, often interrelated influences of patriarchal laws, entrenched social norms, and individual agency. These patriarchal laws, which exert a formidable force in shaping attitudes toward women's participation in sports, are not a static, monolithic entity, but rather a mutable, evolving phenomenon, subject to the transformative powers from both individual and collective action. The gradual evolution of women's empowerment within the sphere of sports and physical activity necessarily entails a convoluted and intricate approach that encompasses the full gamut of women's experiences, acknowledging the multifaceted and heterogeneous nature of their lived realities. In this context, the installation Zoorkhaneh serves as a profound embodiment of this journey, as it weaves together elements that implicitly posit women as heroes. Figure 14- Inside a Traditional Zurkhaneh HOUSE OF STRENGTH, © www.Jeremysuyker.com In order to attain a society that is genuinely fair and egalitarian, philosopher Martha Nussbaum posits the following: 40 In the type of liberal society that aspires to justice and equal opportunity for all, there are two tasks for the political cultivation of emotion. One is to engender and sustain a strong commitment to worthy projects that require effort and sacrifice— such as social redistribution, the full inclusion of previously excluded or marginalized groups, the protection of the environment, foreign aid, and national defense…The other related task for the cultivation of public emotion is to keep at bay forces that lurk in all societies and, ultimately, in all of us: tendencies to protect the fragile self by denigrating and subordinating others. (It is this tendency that, following Kant, I shall call “radical evil,” though my understanding of it will be rather different from Kant’s.) (355). Zoorkhaneh involves installation, video and photographs of performances that invite people to explore the cultural significance of these space, work out with the wooden tools and challenge patriarchal norms and values found in Iran. By making the space of a Zoorkhaneh, I want to challenge dominant narratives and create a more diverse and inclusive cultural landscape. I imagine a more inclusive society where all members have access to cultural spaces and the opportunity to contribute to the creation of public narratives. 4.1 The Short Entrance “Zurkhaneh is controlled by a series of principles and etiquettes, and obeying these principles by all heroes and athletes is essential, and some of these etiquettes are mentioned here as examples. The entrance to the zurkhaneh building is very short (low) that passers-by have to bend over. This is a sign of humility and respect” (Azizi et al. 549). This act serves as a powerful symbol of the values and beliefs embodied by the zoorkhaneh. In this show I created a low entrance that requires the audience to bend over in order to enter the gallery space. The concept of humility and respect is ingrained in Iranian poetry and culture. Persian poets such as Rumi, Saadi, and Hafez all espoused and extolled the virtues of humility and selflessness. “Moses built the Bab-i Saghir (the small Gate) at Jerusalem, in order the people [who were] tormented might lower their heads” (Rumi 207). This suggests that the gate was built as a symbol 41 of relief and respite for those who were suffering or oppressed, enabling them to find solace and humility. It reflects Moses' compassion and concern for the well-being of the afflicted individuals, providing them with a physical and symbolic space where they could find some relief from their hardships. This statement discusses the significance of physical gestures and structures that point to humility and respect. The short entrance serves as a symbol of the egalitarian attitude applied to a specific category of citizens (men). By compelling everyone to bow, Zoorkhaneh supports the idea that everyone is equal and deserves respect and dignity, regardless of their social status. Figure 15 - The Short Entrance, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) In this show the entrance to the space serves as a threshold between the external world and an internal space. It is a point of transition, where individuals leave behind the chaos and distractions of the outside world, and enter a space of intentionality and focus. Zoorkhaneh explores themes of inclusivity and diversity. By creating the short entrance in the gallery space, I speak to a slight transgression executed in the transformation of the gallery space and attached 42 expectations. I suggest a similar transgression taking place in an actual zoorkhaneh. I created a more open and inclusive relationship between the viewer and the work, encouraging a sense of ownership and agency. In his analysis of the power of the gallery space, Brian O’Doherty argues that such “artist/audience dialogue contributes a useful definition of the kind of society we have evolved” (O’Doherty 74). For me, the notion of inclusivity is of utmost significance in the development of the Zoorkhaneh space. In this spatial realm, I manifest a robust visual embodiment of my unwavering commitment to bestowing deferential treatment upon all individuals, regardless of gender or ethnicity. My emphasis on inclusivity serves against all forms of discrimination, as I endeavor to create a paradigm of social justice and equitability. “Suitability, simplicity, and humanism were of the features which realize the aim of the establishers of zurkhaneh phenomenon. All of these features are manifested in zurkhaneh architecture and music” (Afsarian 83). The main features of the interior construction of every Zoorkhanh are the Gowed and the Sar-Dam. In this compound noun, Sar means “place” and Dam refers to “speaking or chanting”. From the technical standpoint, this is the Morshed’s rostrum from where he leads the practice session by his chants, Zarb and Zang” (Amirtash 62). The Gowed is “the most significant facility where all the activities of the Varzesh-eBastani are performed. The Gowed is generally an octagonal pit of about 75 to 100 cm. deep and its total surface depends on the size of the site (10 to 45 square meters). The floor of the pit is constructed with different layers of, from bottom to top, crushed tumbleweeds, a thinner cushion of dried fine straw, a thicker layer of coal ash and finally, a well packed layer of clay or argil in a way to assure softness and flexibility needed for the safety of the Bastanicars during their physical activities. (Amirtash 60). 4.2 The Tools In the zoorkhanehs, athletes gather to practice a unique form of physical training that involves a range of tools and techniques. 43 Figure 16 - Installation view, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) Meel: one of the tools used in the zoorkhaneh are meels, which are also the symbol of the zoorkhaneh. The meels are conical-shaped tools made of wood. It features a handle at one end. Within the realm of the zoorkhaneh, an array of meels of varying dimensions are available, the selection of which is contingent upon the athlete's age and physical fortitude. For the present undertaking, I have fabricated a triad of wooden meels, measuring 15, 19, and 36 inches in height, respectively weighing 1, 5, and 20 kilograms. The process of crafting meels involved laminating wood planks and then turning these blocks on a lathe. 44 Figure 17 - Meel, weight:12 kg, height 36” diameter 8.6” (2023) Sang: “Is a huge rectangular piece of hard wood that has some similarities with the ancient shields used to ward off blows or missiles. The side of the rectangular that is moved near the floor throughout the exercise is gently arched. There is a hole at the central part of each Sang with a bar across it that is used as a hand grip. Around this opening is covered by a soft material to protect the hand” (Amirtash, 64). Sangs are used for weight training and one pair of them is necessary for the exercise. Sang Greiftan (weight exercise): “To do this exercise the performer lies on his back on the floor with his legs straight (or crossed)” (70). I made a pair of wooden sang for this project. In the context of a zoorkhaneh, sangs are available with different dimensions, based on the athlete's age and physical prowess. For this project, I have crafted a pair of wooden sangs that each measure 10.5 x 17 x 1.5 inches and weighting 2 kilos. 45 Figure 18 - A pair of Sangs, each 17”. 11”. 2” (2023) Takhteh-Shena (Push-up Board): A Takhteh-Shena is “a plank of about 75 x 8 x 2 cm. It stands on two short lateral pedestals, each about 5cm. high and shoulder-width apart. The Takhteh-Shena is used for the different types of push up exercises particular to Varzesh-e-Bastani” (Amirtash, 62). As part of my project, I made two push-up boards which have been sanded and finished to ensure a smooth and comfortable grip for the audience performances. Figure 19 - A pair of Push up boards, each 31". 3".3" (2023) Zang: Zang is a proportionally 25-30cm diameter bell that hangs within reach of Morshed’s3 hand. Morshed will play the Zang for the following purposes: 1-To signal the beginning or the end of a particular exercise 2- To attract the attention for making an announcement or presenting some kind of activities 3A Morshed is an experienced Bastanikar who, at the same time, is a well-educated man who also has some talents in music. He is especially competent in providing the different rhythms that are needed for directing the various exercises of a Varzesh-eBastani practice session. He does this job by chanting the epic poems and couplets and by playing the Zarb and Zang that he has at hand (Amirtash 61). 46 3- To honor the presence of a distinguished Pahlevan4, guest, or a social personality in the zoorkhaneh. 4- To create occasional changes during the long rhythmical accompaniment given by the drum alone [that is also used within this space]. 5- To communicate with the Miandar (see below) and the other athletes who are performing in the Gowed (Amirtash, 61). In Iran, the best bells are available in an assortment of sizes and made of brass but may be fashioned from alternative metals such as copper or iron. In pursuit of this project, I made a bell out of copper, shaping it through raising (hammering). The handle was crafted with a metal lathe. I shaped a flat sheet of copper, into a three-dimensional form. This technique requires specialized tools such as raising anvil and stakes, planishing hammers, ball peen hammers, and rawhide mallets. Copper, due to its malleability and ductility, is an ideal choice for raising as it can be manipulated and formed. I began with a flat sheet of copper. I used various hammers, mallets, and stakes to gradually shape the sheet into the bell form. By striking the copper at specific points and using different hammering techniques, the sheet began to take on curves and contours, creating volume and depth. Throughout the raising process, I continually refined and adjusted the shape, ensuring symmetry and smooth transitions. 4 A Pahlevan is the first champion among other bastanikars of a village, town, city, province, country or the world of the time. This title was awarded only to athletes who were recognized as having had reached perfection in the qualities of both physical prowess and moral virtue (Amirtash 59). 47 Figure 20 - Zang, Copper, Diameter:10.5 inches (2023) 4.3 Performance with the Tools The process of performing with the zoorkhaneh's tools involves planning, training, and repetitive practice. I immersed myself in the techniques of the zoorkhaneh, studying video tutorial to understand how to wield the tools with precision and authenticity. I performed with these tools in front of the camera, capturing my performances on video. These videos were then projected in the gallery, enabling the audience to witness and engage with my performance, and to experience the tools in action. Performance with Meels The performance begins with my face covered by the meels held in my hands. I start spinning the meels around my shoulders in perfect synchronicity and my face is set in focused determination. I rotate the meels in this performance in a balanced, identical way. Each movement is executed with precision and grace. The motion of the rotating meels created an immersive visual experience, as I twirled the meels in a seemingly endless series of combinations and patterns. 48 Figure 21 - Meel Giriftan, still of the video performance (2023) Performance with Sang Performing with sangs required mastering a new form of movement and control. I learned the skill and technique first without sangs in order to learn the proper angles and hand movements. When working with sangs, there are several criteria to be followed to achieve an accurate performance. These include lifting the sang without shaking hands, avoiding any hitting while lifting, ensuring that the sang plates do not touch each other or the body, and keeping them off the ground. Athletes should also refrain from moving to the right or left while working with the sang and ensure that the sang plates are placed straight without any angles. The angles of the hand should be maintained at 90 degrees, and athletes should lift their heads and look at their toes to help maintain balance. Holding the bar in the central part of the sang from the inside added an additional layer of complexity as I learned to find the right balance and grip to maximize control and stability. Trial and error were a big part of the process as I tried out various ways and motions to fully grasp the subtleties of the Sangs and how they interacted with my body. 49 Figure 22 - Sang Gireiftan, still of the video performance (2023) Charkhidan (spinning): “The objective of this exercise is for the athlete to start spinning slowly at first and then try to reach their full speed limit. In this particular exercise the drum is not expected to give indication and guidance as to how the athletes should perform, but rather follows the rhythm of the athlete’s rotation” (Amirtash 68). In the Charkh performance, the athlete must maintain specific positions and movements during spinning. This includes keeping their hands in a fist position, maintaining straight arms, aligning their head with their body, and rotating smoothly without jumping. In the video, I progressed from rotating at a slow, deliberate pace to a rapid and frenetic pace. 50 Figure 23 - Charkhidan, still of the video performance (2023) The experience of this artwork is not complete without the participation of the viewers who are invited to work out with the tools and become part of a conversation. The wooden tools are on the floor of the gallery and the audience can use the majority of them to do the different exercises mimicking the videos and photos showing how to suitably use them. The tools that I made challenge the idea of the artwork as a static object and instead position it as a dynamic and ever-changing experience. In “The Society of the Spectacle” Guy Debord speaks to the importance of participation in a project as it "rehumanizes a society rendered numb and fragmented by the repressive instrumentality of capitalist production” (qtd in Bishop 11). This project carries the potential to foster a sense of community and connection among its participants. Through their engagement in a shared experience of wielding the tools and navigating the space, a palpable bond is formed, transcending the boundaries of individuality. This work also challenges preconceived notions of authority and authorship, democratizing the creative process and imbuing it with a sense of accessibility and inclusivity. “The gallery space is no longer neutral. The wall becomes a membrane through which esthetic and commercial values osmotically exchange” (O’Doherty 79). The intricacies of power dynamics are disrupted, where the boundaries between creator and audience blur, and a more dynamic, participatory relationship is fostered. 51 Photo Performance “It is common to find the walls of the zurkhaneh covered with photos of previous Pahlavans who were members of the club” (Daneshforouz). As women cannot be the member of a zoorkhaneh there are no photographs of women in this holy space. I created a series of self-portraits that address women conspicuous absence, both in practice and representation where I perform various physical exercises that were traditionally reserved for men. Figure 24 - Still of the video performance (2023) These photos are displayed on the gallery walls, as a means of reimagining and recontextualizing the zoorkhaneh space and replacing the conventional male photos. Through these photos, my intention is to imitate the zoorkhaneh’s symmetrical decoration (figure 15). The photographs mirror each other across an axis, creating a sense of balance and harmony. The initial act of covering my face with the tools signifies the concealment and suppression imposed on Iranian women. However, within a matter of seconds, I unveil my face from behind the tools, 52 defying the expected norms and asserting my presence. The images carry a unique narrative, highlighting the transformation and visibility that emerges over time through resistance. Figure 25 - Meel Greiftan, still of the video performance (2023) I fabricated some of zoorkhaneh's tools using isomalt sugar.5 What distinguishes isomalt from regular sugar is that it remains clear when exposed to high temperatures and does not caramelize. This unique property makes it ideal to create translucent sculptures. Isomalt sets rapidly, which requires working quickly. I learned that its color shifts from clear to pale yellow when heated for a longer period. 5 “Isomalt: a brand name for a chemical substance that can be used instead of sugar, for example in making sweet food (“Isomalt”). 53 Figure 26 - A pair of Sangs, each 17”. 11”. 2” (2023) I created cast isomalt versions of the wooden tools I had previously crafted using two-parts molds. By using a brittle medium such as sugar, I sought to portray the traditional image of masculinity differently. I question and reflect on social constructs of gender roles and expectations inherent to a patriarchal system The weight difference between the sugar sculptures and their wooden counterparts serves as a metaphorical representation of power that defies societal expectations. By being heavier, the sugar sculptures symbolize a form of power that goes beyond the traditional understanding of masculinity. In a patriarchal society, people are frequently held to stringent expectations and norms depending on their gender. Men in particular are frequently expected to exhibit physical dominance, control, and strength. However, the statement challenges these expectations by suggesting that power can exist in unconventional ways. The sugar sculptures, being heavier than the wooden tools, can be seen as a manifestation of power that does not rely on conforming to societal norms. 54 Figure 27 - Meels, each: 27 kg, height 36” diameter 8.6”, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) Isomalt sugar introduces an element of transparency, which contrasts with the wooden equivalent. I seek to confront the issue of concealment of women's bodies and the erasure of women's presence in certain spaces. The translucent sugar sculptures thus represent the zoorkhaneh space in Iran free of concealment. 4.5 The Smell of Zoorkhaneh “In the zoorkhanehs a ceremonial practice involves wrestlers, mentors, and athletes dusting the various parts of the zoorkhaneh such as the pit (Gowd), Sar-dam, tools, and equipment, and scenting them with rose water (Golab). This act serves as a purification process, symbolizing the participants' reverence for the space and their quest for spiritual purity” (Yazdinews). The zoorkhaneh is a place where tradition and history are deeply ingrained, and where the use of rose water serves as a powerful reminder of the cultural and religious roots of this practice. 55 Rose water has traditionally been associated with religion and historic sites such as mosques and zoorkhanehs. I have never been to a zoorkhaneh, but I can imagine how it smells since it is infused with rose water, emanating a smell akin to that of a mosque. This smell transports me somewhere else back in time. It is a multi-sensory experience that encompasses tiny, shimmering mirror shards hung with chandeliers, Persian carpets, and small beams of sunlight streaming in through the stained-glass windows. The use of rose water in zoorkhanehs is an example of how smells can carry cultural and historical significance and how they can shape our perceptions of certain spaces and experiences. Figure 28 - Installation view, Lake Country Art Gallery (2023) 56 In the creation of zoorkhaneh's space, I incorporated scents to create a sense of intimacy and immediacy between the viewer and the space they enter. In order to imbue the environment with a rose water scent, I applied it to the tools. This heightened the sensory experience for the audience as they interacted with the tools, allowing them to intimately perceive the aroma. “In this way visitors were not only drawn out of the traditional distanced relation to artworks shown in a “do not touch” gallery setting, but also drawn out of their usual relation to the smell of the other and invited to think about both the nature of art and the nature of smell” (Shiner 197). This approach allowed viewers to engage with the multi-sensory experience of the Zoorkhaneh's space, prompting them to reflect on the intersections of perception, and sensory experiences. Anicka Yi is renowned for her remarkable incorporation of scent into her artistic practice. She explores the evocative power of scent as a medium to engage viewers on a profound sensory level. Yi's work, particularly her piece Life Is Cheap (2017) has been influential on my artistic practice. The way she explores and manipulates materials, incorporating scent and challenging modes of perception, resonates deeply with my own creative pursuits. “Yi’s installations ask incisive questions about human psychology and the workings of society. Yi uses unconventional materials to examine what she calls “a biopolitics of the senses,” or how assumptions and anxieties related to gender, race, and class shape physical perception” ("Hugo Boss Prize Exhibition"). 57 Chapter 5: Closing Remarks My practice has become a mean to shed light on the obstacles and challenges experienced by Iranian women in their pursuit of equality and advocates for change through the use of narratives and creative expression. My artwork functions as a form of resistance against discrimination and promotes inclusivity and diversity. This resistance takes the form of establishing a place for the voices of Iranian women as well as questioning patriarchal norms. My goal is to inspire reflection, and conversation, and to encourage my people to take concrete steps toward attaining gender equality and social justice. Through Zoorkhaneh, I aim to give voice to Iranian women, showing further their precarious situation and the obstacles they encounter in their quest for rights and autonomy. In my research, I've discovered that the struggle for equality among all Iranians is confronted with the hard reality they must contend with. Despite the progress that has been accomplished, the continual dread of setbacks looms large. I remind readers that the difficulties faced by Iranian women are ongoing, and that it will take persistent efforts to bring about meaningful change. I am left questioning my own situation as an Iranian woman and how this has impacted the creative process that I engage in as well as the materials that I employ. My research on the struggles faced by Iranian women has led me to explore different materials for the Zoorkhaneh project. However, there is scope for further exploration, and I have identified several areas that could be modified or expanded upon through future research. I am particularly interested in exploring the potential of isomalt sugar. As this is relatively new material to me, I intend to conduct more in-depth research and expand my knowledge about its properties. My objective is to experiment with it and explore the possibility of mixing it with various materials. I also plan to integrate my video 58 project and drawing with sugar sculpture by creating layers within the sculptures to enhance their translucency. Throughout this research, I embarked on a transformative exploration of creating a unified space, where every constituent element is interconnected. This contrasts with my previous experiences of staging individual shows, where installations were constructed within the confines of the gallery space, followed by the incorporation of videos, paintings, or drawings on the walls. Within this transformative space, I forged an intimate, multisensory environment, wherein each individual component of the exhibition constituted an indispensable part of a comprehensive whole. This encompassed the sculptures, video performances, music, the olfactory essence, as well as the entrance. In Zoorkhaneh, every single element is inseparable from its counterparts, wherein their collective presence magnified the impact of the narrative. The interplay of these diverse elements prompted a sense of cohesion. Omitting even a single component would have rendered the exhibition incomplete. I am resolute in continuing to evolve this approach in my future artistic projects. As I re-examine the narratives of gender inequality in Iran, I am compelled to investigate these narratives by creating fragile networks of interconnected concepts and materials. My work is a form of protest against the repression of women's rights since it advocates for change and depicts the continuous dialogue about women's rights. As I delve into issues of belonging, diasporic self-understanding, location, and memory, I am reminded of the long history of women's protests against discrimination. I aim to make the invisible visible. I want to draw attention to those who are marginalized and oppressed, and to inspire others to reflect on the power that comes from human resistance. 59 During this MFA program, I have created work that encourages spectators to reflect on the cultural norms and societal structures informing our identities, as well as to call into question conventional gender roles and expectations. The interactive nature of my work fosters a sense of community and connection among those who experience it. I concentrated my artistic work on the fields of performance, video, and sculpture. In my exploration of narratives, I delve into the depiction of my own body as an Iranian woman, merging through my performances with the patriarchal structure of the zoorkhaneh. This enabled me to further deepen my comprehension of the intersectionality of my identity, the cultural background that defines me and the creative expression that I pursue. I seek to convey the intricacies of my experience as an Iranian woman via my performances, video, and sculptures. This objective involves negotiating the intricate interaction that exists between the female body and the theological and political patriarchy that exists in male restricted spaces. We are currently amidst a momentous societal movement in Iran, with women at the forefront, advocating for their rights and equality. My arduous journey to analyze and fully comprehend this multifaceted issue is far from complete. The discussion surrounding "Women, Life, Freedom" goes beyond mere discourses about abolishing compulsory hijab, dress codes, and freedom of expression. While these fundamental rights are essential for all individuals, this movement encompasses the pervasive oppression faced by all living in the Iranian society. Discrimination and gender inequality not only harm women but also impact men who are dissatisfied with the situation. The manifestations that followed Mahsa (Jina) Amini's killing resulted in the deaths of hundreds of men who were supporting women's emancipation. Men's voices are also suppressed, and they face risks similar to women’s. The magnitude of our demands is undeniable. It is crucial that we recognise the deep-rooted and 60 systemic challenges Iranian people face and to confront them. It is time to shine a spotlight on this predicament situation and drive tangible change toward a more inclusive and just society. 61 Bibliography Abiz, Alireza. 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Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Visual Arts
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Roy-Bois, Samuel
Zoorkhaneh : a whisper of empowerment in Iran's gender struggle
Text