Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, AKArt Advisory, and The Committee, with the support of Alserkal Avenue, Dubai and The Compleat Sculptor, are pleased to present Jacob's Ladder-a performance by artist Shahpour Pouyan, taking place at 6:00pm on Tuesday, December 2 on the grounds of UNTITLED. Miami Beach art fair, located at Ocean Drive and 12th Street.
Shahpour Pouyan's performance comments on the recent history of war, the repeated mistakes and errors of judgment therein, and the cataclysmic effects on individuals' lives. Conjuring the history of evacuation operations, the performance spotlights one of the dire consequences of conflict: that of 'liberation.' The hope of rescue and the desperate need for a mythical 'act of god' to avoid complete abandonment, are the main tenets of the performance-and of Shahpour Pouyan's personal experience during the Iran-Iraq War.
The iconic and dramatic images of helicopter evacuation operations worldwide have created a portrait of crisis, and of the contemporary 'saviour.' Seen within the codex of Judeo-Christianity religious imagery, the helicopter both connects the earth and heaven-as the ladder does in Jacob's dream in The Bible-and symbolizes Jesus saving humanity by restoring freedom to mankind. Pouyan's performance focuses on the poetic moment when human salvation and redemption come into play.
Eternal fear of loneliness, and the mythical desire for salvation, remain relevant in contemporary conflicts amidst its technology and supposed expertise. These themes also overlap with the environs of Miami's art fair week. The controlled nature of the performance-although reassuring-evokes a fear of being alone in an unsafe and chaotic environment, wastefulness, and the ultimate futility of political and intellectual elites.
The performance, lasting only several impactful moments, will occur at 'nautical twilight'-a time which military units often treat with heightened security, and in which everyone assumes a defensive position.
On Friday, December 5 at 12:30pm, as part of UNTITLED. TALKS [located at the fair's beach terrace], an artist talk-entitled Holding Out For A Hero: Conflict, Hope and Betrayal-about the timeliness/timelessness of Jacob's Ladder, and the link to the artist's PTSD series, will be held with Shahpour Pouyan and William Lawrie, Director of Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai. The conversation will focus on the performance's cinematic overtones, how it encapsulates our shared deep fear of abandonment, and the artist's personal childhood experiences in Iran-which inform his attitude to current crises in the Middle East, and worldwide, such as Ebola.
Performance by Shahpour Pouyan at UNTITLED.
November 22, 2014
