This interdisciplinary, research-based event aims to decentralize visual arts from Tehran and promote the transfer of essential infrastructure within the visual arts ecosystem. The program fosters stronger artist-audience connections through interactive events held outside the capital, with insights and feedback from these engagements shared in Tehran.

Maryam Majd Art Projects, in collaboration with Choom Gallery, is pleased to announce the launch of its first event in its series of programs outside the capital city, starting in Bandar Anzali.

The event includes several components, such as the “Passage” exhibition, a workshop where the audience can contribute to the ongoing creation of artworks, and a film screening at Choom Gallery. Additionally, an introductory session on the visual arts ecosystem, followed by a Q&A, was held at a local café in Anzali.

The “Passage” exhibition is a collaborative project conceived by eight members of the “Foj” group, centered around the theme of passage. It addresses the issue of coexistence in collaborative activities and the processes of creating works, identity, and both individual and collective memories. The exhibition features animations, videos, and installations at Choom Gallery.

Participating artists

The “Foj” group is a collective of artists formed in January 2022. Their collaborative efforts were debuted in the March 2023 exhibition “Joint”. Since its inception, the group has faced challenges in maintaining teamwork and effective communication. Eight members of the collective are presenting their work in this exhibition:

Serminaz Barsaghian (b. 1987, Tehran) is an Iranian-Armenian painter based in Tehran who is represented by O Gallery. In her paintings, she often depicts dreamlike spaces to explore the representation of space at various stages of image creation.

Raoof Dashti (b. 1984, Ahvaz) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tehran. His work explores themes of identity, personal experience, and social dynamics within contemporary Iran.

Aylar Dastgiri (b. 1988, Tehran) is an artist based in Tehran, represented by O Gallery. Her body of work is characterized by an exploration of the intricate layers that make up our surroundings, bodies, minds, and painting.

Sepehr Hajiabadi (b. 1992, Karaj) is an artist based in Tehran. Represented by Dastan Gallery, he often uses photo archives as the basis for his creations, offering new perspectives on the original images through his creative vision and technical skills.

Farzad Majidi (b. 1986, Tehran) is a Tehran-based painter represented by O Gallery. His paintings depict spaces that oscillate between collapse and formation, evoking a sense of vague memories.

Neda Mirhosseini (b. 1995, Tehran) is a painter based in Amsterdam. Her paintings help her transform unfamiliar places into something familiar while also narrating stories from her own life.

Shahrooz Mohammad (b. 1997, Mie, Japan) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tehran, with a primary focus on photography. Shahrooz explores concepts of identity and human experience in his work, drawing inspiration from his everyday observations of society.

Mehdi Shiri (b. 1989, Hamedan) is a Tehran-based multidisciplinary artist who began his career in 2012 as both an animator and painter. His work primarily explores the intersection of painting and animation, focusing on the boundaries between the two mediums.