Gohar Dashti

Slow decay, 2010

As much as our lives today have been disassociated from its surrounding environment, yet

involuntarily, it is directly influenced by it.

The shots have captured the cruel moments of misery and fatigue, though are not expressive of

a certain event in time or place. They explore the depths of the collective memory of a people

whom have for generations suffered silently and tolerated much torment. The agony of which

little by little has enwrapped their souls, much like a disease with which bit by bit disintegrates

their body.

These pictures tell a tale of what is still left inside to say. Tales of which, others have no interest

to listen to.

Dimension 100.150 cm

Edition of 7 / C-print

Me, she and the others, 2009

One of the factors affecting one’s personality is clothing. However, when you have no liberty for

choosing your clothing, you will transform into a multi-personality person. This issue is one of

the primary and most important problems that Iranian women have been facing after the Islamic

Revolution in Iran.

The women of my generation and I have grown up with this problem and are constantly

challenged by ourselves and the person others want. I and them, can only choose our clothing

indoors, but when outdoors we have no authority and there are others who choose our clothing.

This is while every person should have liberty of choosing their desired clothing based on their

beliefs.

This project titled Me, She, and the others is a documentary of the clothing of I and other

women born after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

I in this project have photographed women in three situations (Left to Right: Workplace, Indoors,

and Society). All of these women have an effective presence in the society, which shows the

capabilities of this generation in different arenas of the society. However, these people for this

presence are forced to change their appearance relative to their occupation and social

environment. Dimension 23.42 cm

Edition of 10 / C-print

Today's life and War, 2008

My photographs reflect a post-war generation couple in Iran who are symbolic of the times.

Because the Revolution never resolved issues of social poverty and the ensuing war with Iraq

derailed their social prospects, this was a time of isolation and unprecedented despair.

My generation has inherited the legacy of war and continues to be entangled in the memories

and related realities. I want to represent this heritage of violence and how it permeates all

aspects of contemporary society by depicting a couple in a fictionalized battlefield as they

interact with the everyday for instance, watching television, surfing on the Internet, or

celebrating a wedding.

While her couple does not visibly express emotion, the pair nevertheless has a sense of

perseverance, determination and survival. I create moments that capture the irony and ongoing

duality of life and war without precluding the possibility of hope.

Dimension 70.105 cm

Edition of 7 / C-print

Gohar Dashti was born In Ahvaz (IR) 1980.She is living and working in Berlin (DE) and Tehran (IR). She graduated in M.A Photography from the Fine Art University of Tehran (IR) 2005. She has been accepted in some art residencies and scholarships such as DAAD (German Academy exchange serves) award. She has participated in solo shows and group shows in Iran, Switzerland, Germany, France, United state, Romania, Spain, Brazil, Canada and India since 2002. Solo Exhibitions: 2010 Centre d'art Passerelle, Brest (FR) 2006 Silk Road Gallery, Tehran (IR) 2006 Ara Gallery, Tehran (IR) Selected Group Exhibitions: 2010 “Indoor Photography”, Homa Gallery, Tehran (IR) 2010 Universität der Künst, Berlin (DE) 2010 “Freitag und Robinson”, Skulpturenpark Berlin_Zentrum, Berlin (DE) 2010 “Recent self-portraits”, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran (IR) 2010 “Southern”, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran (IR) 2009 “Photoquai”, Quai Branly Museum, Paris (FR) 2008 Hillyer Art Space, Washington DC (US) 2008 “The inward eye”, Contemporary art museum, Tehran (IR) 2007 “Made in Teheran”, Cicero Gallery, Berlin (DE) 2006 “Art10th International Photo Biennale”, Saba Cultural and Artistic Institute, Tehran (IR) 2005 “Sequence photography“, Iranian Artists’ Forum, Tehran (IR) 2004 Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran (IR) 2002 Mirak Gallery, Mashhad (IR) Upcoming Exhibitions: 2011 “Landscape, Revolution, People”, Queen Gallery, Toronto (CA) 2011 “Staging Identity”, Kashya Hildebrand Gallery, Zurich (CH) Scholarships and Residences: 2011 Visiting Arts (1mile² project), Bradford (UK) 2009-2011 DAAD scholarship, Berlin (DE) 2008 International Arts & Artists (Art Bridge), Washington DC (US) Books: 2008 “Iranian photography now”, Published by Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany