Exhibition
Transforming Imagination: Afghan Art Between Tradition and Rebellion

with works by Shiraz Fazli, Parwana Haydar & AVAH Collective, Qeas Pirzad, Shamayel Shalizi and the ArtLords

Wed, 23.08.2023 -
Sun, 10.09.2023
Galerie Eigenheim Weimar

The exhibition "Transforming Imagination: Afghan Art Between Tradition and Rebellion" shows the exhibition "Afghan Futurism: Transforming Imagination" conceived by Armeghan Taheri and the street art work by the art collective ArtLords at Galerie Eigenheim Weimar as part of the Kunstfest Weimar.

AFGHAN FUTURISM: Transforming Imagination 

The artists' works embrace a cultural aesthetic that is both historical and dreamlike, allowing a look forward and a look back at the same time. In this tension between tradition and rebellion, which serves as both reference and mask, new emancipated truths are created outside the dominant cultural narratives. Together, the artists attempt to develop a collective vision for the future derived from the experiences of the Afghan diaspora.

Works

Shiraz Fazli: تکھ تکھ تکھ می شوم (I break apart) 
 
Traditional Afghan garments are pieced together from patterned fabrics, mirrors, beadwork, and embroidery. They may also be adorned with hanging, beaded talismans called gul-e-peran and as such offer the body both protection both physically and psychically. تکھ تکھ تکھ می شوم (I break apart) is a tapestry comprised of an assortment of found materials. Pieces of fabric, rice bags, ragdolls, paintings, used clothing, mirrors, beads, and sequins come together to form a collage that resembles traditional Afghan textile work and reflects on the hybrid nature of Afghan cultural artforms.

Qeas Pirzad: The daybreak of utopia 
  
When the rainfall washes away the last cries of despair 
And the sun rays dry the last tears of sorrow 
  
The smiles emerge from each corner of the land 
From the westernmost point of Herat to the farthest east of Badakhshan 
Lighting up the dark and forgotten homes 
  
Calling the forsaken ones to return 
Because the sun is rising in our home 

Parwana Haydar: Foot ache 

Foot ache is a video collage of an AI generated young Afghan girl dancing on rubble, to the traditional frame drum daira, in the changing background of empty opulent Kabul wedding halls. In the glittery, kitsch, hi-tech wedding halls of Kabul, Afghanistan exists an isolated form of liberation for the lucky few who are invited to wedding ceremonies under the current Taliban regime. Women wear their finest dresses in multiple colors of chiffon and twirl to the rhythm of cassettes and classical Afghan music. Afghan futurism may exist in this temporary space of dance and joy, whilst outside on Kabul’s streets remains a dystopia for many women who are forced to wear shapeless gowns and most recently are banned from Universities. 

Shamayel Shalizi: جنگ چریکی / جیپ چروکی (Transliteration: Jang Chirki/Jeep Cherokee; Translation: Guerilla Warfare/Jeep Cherokee)

This work is part of a series of large-scale paintings that address the years following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and one of the justifications for that invasion: saving Afghan women from Afghan men. Having grown up in Kabul during these years, Shamayel wants to highlight the dichotomy of the hypo-sexualization of Afghan women and the hyper-sexualization of Afghan women. The painting uses recognizable symbols such as the surveillance balloon installed by the Americans and their allies that hung over Kabul and watched the citizens of Kabul for years; there was not an inch in Kabul where one could escape the eyes of the oppressors, a dehumanizing and undignified reminder of life under war and occupation. The narcotica houses depicted in the background - architecture built with opium money - serve to pay tribute to the members of the upper class of Afghan society who participated in the sellout of their country and their people and who collaborated with the oppressors, greed and excess, as well as some of the hidden truths about the real reasons for this occupation. At the same time, there are also symbols in the work that indicate that Afghanistan was exploited and dominated by foreign countries for decades before 2001. Finally, there are symbols that illustrate the strength of the Afghan spirit and show that this spirit will always prevail.

Artists:

© Shiraz Fazli

Shiraz Fazli is a Brooklyn-based artist and educator. Her work combines textiles with painting to create garments, dolls and tapestries that are a perversion of Afghan motifs, language and traditions. She foregrounds humour and absurdity resulting from growing up with an Afghan background in the imperial heartland, and challenges prevailing notions of Afghan victimhood. As an artist and educator, she uses Afghanistan as a starting point for artistic and historical investigations. In 2019, Fazli graduated from Bard College with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and has exhibited her art at Living Gallery, ReflectSpace Gallery and The Documentarian Mag, among others.

© Qeas Pirzad

Qeas Pirzad's art critically engages with the creation of personalised realities. As a descendant of Afghan immigrants in the Netherlands, Pirzad has quickly acquired the ability to occupy the contrasting lifeworlds within and outside his homeland. Many of his works reflect the artist's revelation to define his own reality. In his art, Pirzad reflects and deconstructs societal and familial influences on his existence. In doing so, he expresses himself as a multidisciplinary artist through various media such as oil on canvas, digital collage, sculpture, poetry and performance art. The dream-like compositions of Pirzad's projects invite viewers on a visual journey that knows no boundaries. He hopes that this journey will be a catalyst for the viewer's own awakening.

Parwana

© Parwana Haydar

Haydar is a London based filmmaker and curator. She holds a BA honors in Social Anthropology and Persian from SOAS, University of London. She is a graduate of Other Cinemas film school and of South London Gallery's Re:Creative film school. Her artistic practice is driven by the personal, shadowed by structural and global issues of displacement, war and grief. Her films and installations explore the gaps between realism, surrealism and the speculative. She is a recent fellow of the German Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg artist in residence programme where she was commissioned to write and direct a film for the City Gallery in Delmenhorst, responding to the topic of Childhood Memories. She is a member of the Afghan Visual Arts and History Collective (AVAH) an independent curatorial research collective and multimedia platform for artists from Afghanistan and its diaspora. Her video installation Internet Archiving developed collaboratively with other members of AVAH Collective is a video collage of the digital archival culture of Afghanistan which comments on the gaping holes of Afghanistan's war torn history. The collage enables us to think critically of the material reality of our present culture and narrative. Internet Archiving was exhibited at Fotofestiwal in Lodz, Poland from the 15th-18th of June.

AVAH (Afghan Visual Arts & History) is an independent and global research collective and multimedia platform. It arose due to the lack of available information and long-term initiatives on the historical and contemporary practices originating in or related to Afghanistan. By collecting art histories, contextualizing practices and creating a professional network, AVAH aims to create important resources that contribute to the understanding of the past and equip the current generation of artists and cultural workers at home and abroad.

© Astra Pentaxia

Shamayel Shalizi is an Afghan multimedia artist and founder of the jewelry and clothing label Blingistan, which is also involved in community building and knowledge sharing. Shamayel Shalizi is involved in various grassroots organizations in Afghanistan and co-hosts the podcast Diaspora Passing, which aims to strengthen relationships within the global Afghan community. In November 2021, she published a collection of poetry titled Shut Up/ چپ باش/ Заткнись. She also uses painting, photography, videography, and installations to explore themes of identity, trauma, imperialism, war, displacement, and home.

RE-set: Art in Exile

Work

Goethe-Institut im Exil

The art collective ArtLords created a mural with the participation of artists, festival visitors and passers-by as part of the opening festival Afghanistan of the Goethe-Institut in Exile. The motif of the mural refers to the tragic situation of women and girls who are no longer welcome in public life in Afghanistan. It tells of the imprisonment of Afghan women and girls and their dreams. 

ArtLords

Omaid Sharifi is an artist, president and CEO of Wartists and ArtLords, and a fellow at Harvard University. Omaid Sharifi is a board member of CIVICUS, as well as a board member and alumni of the Atlantic Council's Millennium Leadership Program and a recipient of the Global Pluralism Award. 
 
Kabir Mokamel was fascinated by art and the diversity of artistic expression from an early age. In the beginning of his art making, Kabir was inspired by his cultural heritage and his own experiences. His artworks deal with politics, religion, history, displacement and identity. With his thought-provoking images and symbolism, Kabir invites viewers to self-reflection, fostering a deeper understanding of the world around us. His art serves as a catalyst for dialogue, challenging preconceptions and encouraging constructive conversations. Through his art, Kabir aims to raise awareness, stimulate dialogue, and bring about positive change in society.

Accompanying programme

The exhibition will be accompanied by the short film program "Khirkee Stories" by the Simurgh Centre in New Delhi. The four short films, which were made in March 2022 as part of a workshop with director Zamarin Whadat, portray Delhi's streets and residents from the perspective of the Afghan community.

In addition, there is a selection of contemporary literature, such as the magazine "What`s Afghan Punk Rock, Anyway?", as well as a diverse radio programme with contributions from Afghan artists who participated in the Goethe-Institute in Exile's Afghanistan Festival.

Exhibition opening: 23 August 2023 at 7 p.m.
Opening hours: Thurs. - Sat. 16 - 19 h and by appointment
Contact: team@galerie-eigenheim.de

The exhibition "Transforming Imagination: Afghan Art Between Tradition and Rebellion" takes place in cooperation with Galerie EIGENHEIM Weimar/Berlin with the kind support of the Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Thüringen in the Gärtnerhaus of the Weimarhallenpark.