Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam | "100 Years": +2 [Deh-Vanak]

+2 is proud to announce its participation in the program, “Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam > 100 Years”, celebrating the 100th year since the birth of artist Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam. The program, organized by Fondazione Vaziri Moghaddam, takes form in numerous international events and exhibitions in collaboration with institutions and galleries, including Dastan. The exhibitions open on July 19 and will be on view until August 9, 2024. 

+2 Deh-Vanak Venue is showcasing a series of large Sand Paintings by Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam, with the earliest pieces dating back to the 1960s, and the most recent creation being signed by the artist in 2016, two years before he passed away. 

While still a student at Accademia delle Belle Arti, Vaziri Moghaddam encountered avant-garde ideas and minimalist art concepts in Toti Scialoja’s (1914 - 1998) studio, who challenged him to be ‘an artist’ rather than ‘just a painter’. This environment, rich with discussions on topics ranging from cybernetics to Zen philosophy, fostered his experimental approach. 

Upon his return to Rome from London in 1960, Vaziri Moghaddam experienced a pivotal moment in his career. Vaziri Moghaddam's sand paintings emerged from a profound creative process involving the physical interaction of his hand with sand and the surrounding atmosphere. These works encapsulate an atmospheric surface with layers of sedimentation and particles, embodying a natural and spontaneous creation. He transitioned from a brush and paint to using his fingers and sand. He considers this switch the break of his career as he details in his autobiography (Vaziri Moghaddam, M. (2018). Memories: Nazar Publication. p. 168). 

In 1960 Vaziri Moghaddam’s sand paintings were recognized by Scialoja as a unique achievement. These works led to significant breakthroughs, including the “Hundred Abstract Artists” exhibition at Pistoia Museum in 1962. In Vaziri Moghaddam’s words, the sand paintings shaped his career from that point forward, resulting in the creation of Aluminum reliefs and sculptures.

Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam (1924 – 2018) is acknowledged as a pioneer of Iranian abstractionism and a leading figure in developing contemporary Iranian art. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. He was also an educator, opening the way for many to-be artists to go beyond the limits of established ways. His "Drawing Method and Painting Guide" (1981) is a standard academic text today. 

He is widely recognized for works spanning five decades, from the painterly abstracts of the 1960s to the hard-edged geometry of the sculpted and painted aluminum wall reliefs of his later years. Vaziri's work is characterized by a restless experimentation of form through materials –deployed in his drawings, sand paintings, opto-kinetic sculptures, and painted aluminum wall reliefs.