Censorship is beautiful!

Year: 2010-2011

Medium: Green ink, Sewn threads, Fabric, printed papers


In this project I glued the A4 papers -with my laptop photos on them- on the fabrics and I started sewing some parts of the photos with different colorful threads. I used these threads to connect some parts of the images to each other, to add to them, to cover them, to exaggerate them and finally to censor some parts of taboos such as religious taboos (nudes, hair etc.) and political news about opposition in Iran by sewing Persian patterns on them.

During the process I wondered I can act as an Iranian Censorship department and start censoring my photos by sewing them according to my awareness about what is taboo and what is not, what is dangerous and what is not. In other words, I was preparing myself for an imaginary exhibition in Iran. I was making my pieces ready to get the permit to be shown in Iran but being critical in a tricky way; to criticize and to get the permit at the same time; to reveal and to conceal; to tell and not to tell; to talk in between the words.

Limited and filtered countries bring up critical minds that would criticize their limited context while living in the very same context.

These fabrics are various in sizes and they were shown in two different versions in the past.
First version was in my Solo exhibition in G60, Bildmuseet umeå in April 2011.
I decided to use Persian patterns well known on Iranian and Islamic architecture and also on Persian carpets.

Why these Persian patterns were created?
I believe because of Censorship and Taboos caused by religion and conventions. Symbols and Patterns replaced direct figurative arts. Artists in censorship-based societies have to create abstraction to stay creative and even critical.
I stuck all these pieces together and made 3 meters in 4 meters sheet out of it.
I sew a continuous Persian pattern on the marginal pieces with green threads (Symbol of Freedom for Iranians.). I also ask my foreign friend to cooperate on sewing these patterns; as if they put themselves in my shoes! The fabric has the function of a Persian carpet referring to my identity as an Iranian young identity but this time with far different obsessions compared with Persian conventions and traditions. This was an overlap of current situation in Iran and the Iranian fame for its traditional beautiful saturated patterns.

The second version was presented in a group show in bildmuseet in May 2011 and also in another group show in Galleri Andersson Sandström at the same month in Stockholm, Sweden.
In this version I hung the pieces separately from the ceiling with green yarns and I made an installation out of it with green yarns hung all over from the ceiling.