Courtesy of Fereshte Moosavi and Lawrie Shabibi
We are pleased to announce the In Creating Objects: Farhad Ahrarnia & Hossein Valamanesh (2022) book launch with independent curator and educator, author and editor Fereshte Moosavi in conversation with Vlad Morariu at London's Mosaic Rooms.
The conversation will dive into the making and chapters of the book and explore how handcrafts for centuries have been the heart of the creative domain in societies; bringing art close to the community not only as an imaginative practice, but also as economical means and activities for social experiences.
In Creating Objects explores the notion of ‘art object’ in its materiality, and the essence of craftsmanship in the works of two contemporary Iranian – artists Farhad Ahrarnia and Hossein Valamanesh. Ahrarnia’s Khâtam-Kâri (Persian marquetry), handmade carpets, assemblages of everyday objects and used cardboard packages that are embellished by Tazhib, delve into a dual experience between modern life and traditional craftsmanship. Hossein Valamanesh’s use of materials such as branches and leaves woven and placed in an orderly manner or earth, wax and fire implemented in handcrafted objects, delineates a kind of return to the overlooked domain of nature. Moosavi’s curated approach in this publication is influenced by Jean Baudrillard’s early book, The System of Objects (1968), in which he offers a critique of the commodity in consumer society while revisiting our relationship with the matter. Furthermore, two insightful texts by curator Rose Issa and writer Haleh Anvari contribute to the contextualisation of the artists’ life and work while giving a focused study on the specific use of Farsh in their practice correspondingly.
This event is hosted as part of the Mosaic Rooms bookshop programme.
