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Reza Aramesh 'Action 103 City of
Ramadi west of Baghdad March 2006', 2011
Polychromed
limewood glass and wood veneers 66cm height
(detail)
REZA
ARAMESH
Walking in the
Darkness Of A Promised Light
Private
preview: Monday 14 March from 5 PM
Exhibition dates: March 15 – May 06, 2011
An
exhibition supported by Ruinart
GALLERY IVDE is proud to
present ‘Walking In The Darkness Of A Promised
Light’ by Reza Aramesh, opening at the
Dubai gallery on March 14th 2011, and running until May 5th
2011. This exhibition features four new photographic images
and five new sculptures. As well as his solo show at Gallery
IVDE, Aramesh will also be exhibiting a major new work at the
gallery’s booth at Art Dubai, between March 16 –
19.
This
exhibition is Reza Aramesh’s second solo presentation at the
gallery, following his 2009 show, ‘Between The Eye And The
Object Falls A Shadow’ which was widely acclaimed for its
dramatic, yet thought-provoking, representations of prisoners,
arranged in tableaux based on contemporary war reportage,
recreated amidst the opulence of castles, palaces and stately
homes. The peculiarly arresting impressions created by Aramesh
served to foreground his ongoing investigations into
portrayals of conflict, wealth, religion, culture and
oppression – themes to which he returns in this new show at
Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde.
Drawing on influences as varied as 17th century
religious iconography, classic Iranian and European arthouse
cinema, Renaissance-era painting and sculpture and
contemporary news reportage, ‘Walking In The Darkness Of A
Promised Light’ brings to life the inner realities excavated
through Aramesh’s diverse techniques. In this new body of
work, the artist positions himself centrally, amidst the
swirling cross-currents of global information flow and
relentless supply and demand of media imagery from across the
world. Reflecting on the manner in which news media casts
victims of suffering and conflict into pre-ordained clichés,
he asks us to investigate anew, our own value systems and
moral responses to those who wield power and influence, as
well as those who suffer and sacrifice themselves. In evoking
the transcendental attitude of figures in devotional paintings
and sculptures from the past (clearly referencing traditional
Catholic and Islamic tropes) Aramesh recontextualises his
subjects in a new light that serves to invite our full
engagement and moral re-assessment.
Building on the themes explored in ‘Between The Eye
And The Object Falls A Shadow’, this exhibition presents
a new series of photographs, presented as triptychs and
diptychs, as well as five sculptures that employ traditional
17th century polychromatic, marquetry and wood-carving
techniques. The triptych is a form usually found in Christian
art, invoking the fundamental Trinity concept. Aramesh is
inspired by devotional art, especially the forms that evoked
suffering and martyrdom in saintly figures and he brings this
beguiling context to his present-day subjects, throwing open
the debate as to whether the young men captured and killed in
contemporary theatres of war are also saints or martyrs of a
modern age. This is the style in which Aramesh draws on in the
21st century, to re-invent today’s sainted figures –
hero-victims of war and global unrest.
Aramesh stages recreations of events found in
newspapers and television reports from images of war across
the world. Continuing his methodology, the sculptures and
photographs are titled numerically as ‘Actions’, and at ½ and
¾ life-sized, feature captive figures drawn from images of
prisoners, humiliated and bowed. The striking juxtaposition of
the meticulously-crafted marquetry on the plinths, evocative
of the geometric intricacy of palatial floors with the figures
of terrified, victimized men, is haunting.
The
artist has experimented throughout his career with creating
staged tableaux within dramatic surroundings, from arranging
groups of homeless people within Tate Britain in London to
staging a re-enactment of the traditional Changing Of The
Guards in London’s Trafalgar Square, using immigrant men in
place of the Queen’s guardsmen.
The
series of photographs in this show document recreations of
scenes drawn from the media, of tragedies and war – transposed
to the glory and splendour of stately homes and palaces,
including the Armourers & Brasiers hall in London and the
Musee Rodin in Paris. The implications are clear, yet complex.
In drawing out links between wealth, power, violence and
conflict and in the extreme contrasts, highlighted in
aesthetic terms through stark monochromes through to the
ideological fabric of the work, Aramesh brings the power of
religious iconography to bear on the anonymous faces and forms
of those who continue to die today, in the name of dogma and
blind ambition. In his sensitive, still, yet powerful works,
Reza Aramesh explores the moral universes between the
suffering and saintliness that we, as humans, are capable
of.
One
of the leading pioneers on the Middle Eastern contemporary art
scene, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde
(previously B21) has established a reputation for sourcing and
promoting the most progressive and exciting talent from across
Iran and the Middle East. Based in expanded, new premises in
Dubai’s Al Quoz district, Gallery IVDE continues to flourish,
with a roster of globally-acclaimed names including Rokni and
Ramin Haerizadeh, Reza Aramesh, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Bita
Fayyazi, Jeffar Khaldi, Ahmad Amin Nazar, Leila Pazooki,
Nargess Hashemi, Shadi Ghadirian, Lara Baladi, Fereydoun Ave
and Farideh Lashai.
Constantly seeking to challenge and inspire audiences
and collectors, IVDE’s strong track record in both breaking
new talent and showing established names, has driven the
gallery to global acclaim and renown. Yet at the heart of the
business lies a firm commitment to the artist and the promise
of a professional, yet personal supportive environment in
which talent and expression thrives. With a busy annual
schedule of shows, each of which is accompanied by
specially-commissioned catalogue, the gallery is synonymous
with the ground-breaking wave of artistic activity emanating
from the dynamic city of Dubai.
Gallery Isabelle van den
Eynde
P.O. Box
18217
Al Quoz
1, Dubai, UAE
T +971
(0)4 323.5052
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