Group Presentation | "Merging Boundaries": CONTACT Photography Festival at Zaal Art Gallery, Focus Room 04

Zaal Art Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the  CONTACT Photography Festival with “Merging Boundaries”. The festival consists of 36 Curated Exhibitions and Public Art installations presented in partnership with institutions across the Greater Toronto Area. 

As a part of CONTACT, Zaal Art Gallery presents “Merging Boundaries”, the fourth exhibition in its Focus Room series, bringing together the work of contemporary Iranian photographers Mahsa Alikhani (b. 1981, Tehran, Iran), Sasan Abri (b. 1984, Tehran, Iran), Arash Hanaei (b. 1978), Alborz Kazemi (b. 1989, Tehran, Iran), Mehran Mohajer (b. 1964, Tehran, Iran), Melika Shafahi (b. 1984, Tehran, Iran), Shayan Sajadian (b. 1994, Shiraz, Iran), Sina Shiri (b. 1991, Rasht, Iran), Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981, Tehran, Iran), Maryam Takhtkeshian (b. 1984, Tehran, Iran), and Sofia Yeganeh (b. 1996, London, UK). The show opens on May 16 and continues through June 13, 2024. 

Centered on images and photos, the overall layout of the show is a visual composition of different photographers merging. Their arrangement is similar to a large collage, with boundaries between the works of each artist blurring, the distance between them disappearing, making it impossible to distinguish the influence of one artist from another. 

CONTACT is committed to the ongoing development of meaningful anti-oppressive practice on all levels. This includes the continuing goal of augmenting and maintaining diverse representation, foregrounding varied and under-represented voices and perspectives via their public platform (the Festival and all related programs), as well as continually examining the structures of power and decision-making within the organization itself. CONTACT aims to actively learn, grow, and embody the values of inclusivity, equity, and accessibility in all facets of the institution, as an ever-evolving process.

CONTACT is committed to promoting Indigenous voices; to generating spaces for ongoing, meaningful, and creative Indigenous-settler dialogue; and to continuous learning about our place on this land.