The Art of Iran in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries: Tracing the Modern and the Contemporary

## Explores and theorises the modern and contemporary art of Iran from the mid-twentieth century to the present * Critically rereads the concepts of modern and contemporary art in the context of Iran * Discusses discourses such as nativism, nationalism, anti-westernism or __Gharb-zadegi__ (Westoxification), modernism, secularism, Islamicism, identity versus cultural globalisation, cultural essentialism, global market demands and exoticism * Looks at the representation of these discourses in art and artistic movements such as __Saqqā-khāneh__, revolutionary art and diasporic art or artistic strategies such as humour, criticism of cultural past, deconstructive and subversive language, etc. * Shows how globalisation and its attendant cultural transformations and alternative visions of cultural particularities have emerged as new themes for Iranian artists * Based on primary sources including interviews with artists, curators, art critics and cultural activists from a range of disciplinary media such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance, installation, and participatory projects * Examines how political events such as the 1979 Revolution, its aftermaths and the so-called Reform period (1997-2005) impacted cultural and artistic modes in Iran This book deals with the exploration and theorisation of Modern and Contemporary art of Iran through the examination of art movements and artistic practices in relation to other cultural, social and political discourses during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It focuses on discourses and their impact on art movements and practices and aims to selectively explore certain prevailing debates in action during this time. To come to grips with the way that artistic trends in Iran can be traced within the intellectual and political landscape of the country mainly from the 1940s to the present, Keshmirshekan articulates new ideas for relating art to its wider context – whether social, cultural or political – and to bring together critical and historical evidence in order to provide an insight into current artistic concerns. The book explores these underlying themes and discourses through a series of case studies, including through close scrutiny of works of artists. Contents List of Figures Note on Transliteration Acknowledgements Introduction Part I Defining the Framework and Developing Conceptual Definitions 1 Challenging Points of Entry: Theorising ‘Modern’ and ‘Contemporary’ Art of Iran 2 Historiography of Modern and Contemporary Art of Iran Part II Discourses on Modern and Contemporary Art 3 The Discourse of Neo-traditionalism: Reflecting the Past into the Present 4 Discourses on Post-revolutionary Art: The 1980s and Early 1990s 5 The Paradigms of Contemporary Art: The Contemporary versus the Specific Part III Art Practice and Socio-cultural Discourses 6 The Politics of Art Practice in Contemporary Iran 7 Artists’ Attempts to Reclaim Cultural Space versus the State’s Cultural Prescriptions 8 Exhibiting Essentialism: Exoticism and its Attendant Uniformity 9 Humorous Art Practices: A Strategic Response to Stereotyping General Bibliography Index