Mossavar-Nameh
A Dastan Project
Art Dubai 2018
Booth C2
Curatorial Team: Hormoz Hematian, Aria Kasaei, Ashkan Zahraie
Concept: Hormoz Hematian
Booth Design: StudioKargah — Aria Kasaei
Structure Design and Production: Mohammad Hossein Gholamzadeh
Executive Consultant: Marco Djermaghian
Associate Curator and Coordinator: Roxana Afkhami
At Art Dubai 2018, Dastan presents its most recent incarnation of Mossavar-Nameh (lit. ‘Book of Illustration’) at Booth C2. Works by twentieth- and twenty-first-century Iranian masters Ardeshir Mohassess, Fereydoun Ave, Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Farshid Maleki, Farah Ossouli, and Nicky Nodjoumi are presented along with pieces by more contemporary Iranian artists, including Pouya Afshar, Shahriar Ahmadi, Mohsen Ahmadvand, Mohammad Hossein Gholamzadeh, Mélodie Hojabr, Amin Montazeri, Peybak, Kour Pour, and Iman Raad, and complemented by a number of paintings from nineteenth-century Iran.
The current presentation of Mossavar-Nameh, which literally translates to ‘Book of Images’, has been inspired by the idea of binding the project into a book, and has been long in the making. This iteration of Mossavar-Nameh has been curated by Hormoz Hematian, Aria Kasaei, and Ashkan Zahraei. The concept was introduced by Hormoz Hematian, the structure designed and produced by artist Mohammad Hossein Gholamzadeh, and the visual identity and graphical elements designed by celebrated Iranian designer and StudioKargah’s co-founder and co-director, Aria Kasaei.
One of the common aspects of all the artists presented in Mossavar-Nameh is their interest in books and book-making: From Ardeshir Mohassess’ more than ten books of drawings to Farshid Maleki’s recent publication* featuring his drawings and poems, Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s several books of illustration to Nicky Nodjoumi, Iman Raad, and Mélodie Hojabr published narrative drawings, Shahriar Ahmadi’s vast library of literary and Sufi books from which he draws inspiration for creating his story-like panels, Fereydoun Ave’s penchant for artist books, Farah Ossouli’s narrative painting, and many more.
In the Safavid Period (1501-1722), known as the Golden Age of Persian Art, the ultimate artworks were works of architecture, carpets and books. While much has been written on the architectural wonders and carpets of the era, the literature on the Persian art of book-making has been relatively scarce. Both before and during the Safavid period, books were one of the most important mediums in which the close collaboration of the painter (Mossaver), the calligrapher (Khat’taat), the designer (Mozah’heb) and the binder (Sah’haaf), resulted in a single coherent piece.
This project has been inspired by the same interest in creating books and has been inspired by the Persian tradition and art of book-making. In Mossavar-Nameh, the idea of a single Mossaver (painter) has been replaced with incorporating the works of artists from several generations and media into three books. Basing its conceptual roots in the Persian art of book-making, the current project presented in Booth C2 at Art Dubai 2018, has demanded the same collaborative effort as its celebrated ancestors used to. In this incarnation, the curatorial team has tried to narrate the story through its selection and presentation of the artists (the Mossavers) hence taking the role of the Khat’taat or the calligrapher. This narrative (curatorial project) is designed by StudioKargah’s Aria Kasaei who takes the responsibility of the Mozah’heb or the designer, and ultimately bound into three giant books by sculptor Mohammad Hossein Gholamzadeh, the Sah’haaf (binder), who embodies this presentation into the form of the books.
* “Farshid Maleki”, published by Emkan Gallery, Tehran, 2017
Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh Road, Umm Suqeim,
Exit 39 (Interchange 4) from Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
OPENING HOURS
PRIVATE DAYS (by invitation only)
Monday, March 19, 2018: Art Dubai Modern Preview
Tuesday, March 20, 2018: Art Dubai Preview
Tuesday, March 20, 2018: Jumeirah Patrons Preview
Tuesday, March 20, 2018: The Abraaj Group Art Prize Unveiling
VERNISSAGE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018: Ladies Day Preview (open to all ladies)
Wednesday, March 21, 2018: VIP Opening (by invitation only)
PUBLIC DAYS
4-9:30pm Thursday, March 22, 2018
2-9:30pm Friday, March 23, 2018
12-6:30pm Saturday, March 24, 2018