Group presentation | "Realism": No.9 Cork Street

Dastan presents “Realism”, an exhibition at Frieze’s No.9 Cork Street featuring the work of 24 Iranian artists. The exhibition opens on April 13, 2023, and continues through April 29. 

“Realism” examines the tension between ‘perceived reality’ and ‘real life experience’ in the work of artists who have either addressed the notion of realism in their practice or have employed it as an aesthetic strategy to formulate and express their lives —particularly as Iranians hold different vantage points. They substantiate their experiences, observations, and emotions through painterly marks and sculptural forms. What they present is certainly real: whether they are depictions in realistic and realism-inspired aesthetics or emotional gestures and interpretations, they are all impressions of what is real.

The exhibition aims to present the viewer with different manifestations of ‘the real’ through a multiplicity of apertures. It includes works across diverse disciplines, showcasing paintings, sculptures and three-dimensional installations as well as an extensive display of photography, photo-based and video art. 

Much like how reality itself is perceived, the aim has been to present a manifold picture and focus on the diversity of practices and approaches in the work of Iranian artists, in order to facilitate a multidimensional reading. In instances, the physical presence of the artwork offers itself as an objective reality despite possible references to its outside, crossing over mere representation through its existence as an artistic creation. In much of what is presented, the artist’s relationship with ‘the real’ has formed their perception of it and its manifestations in their work. In effect, however, the act of creating a work goes beyond the received perception to establish a reality of its own. Moreover, whether as a gesture, an objective reality, or a perceived idea of reality, the works in “Realism” come together to speak to an audience whose lived experience is informed by augmented and virtual reality, living in settings considered surreal three decades ago. 

Dastan’s second display at Frieze No.9 Cork Street, “Realism” includes works by Kiarash Alimi, Reza Aramesh, Fereydoun Ave, Maryam Ayeen & Abbas Shahsavar, Andisheh Avini, Gohar Dashti, Homa Delvaray, Mitra Farahani, Sahand Hesamiyan, Rana Javadi, Y.Z. Kami, Ghasem Hajizadeh, Alborz Kazemi, Shohreh Mehran, Mehran Mohajer, Mehrdad Mohebali, Farhad Moshiri, Pooya Razi, Behjat Sadr, Shayan Sajadian, Sina Shiri, Soheila Sokhanvari, Newsha Tavakolian. The presentation is accompanied by works of the Ghasemi Brothers, Mohammad Hossein Gholamzadeh, Farrokh Mahdavi, Farah Ossouli, Peybak, Ali Akbar Sadeghi, and Mamali Shafahi in the Viewing Room.