A parallel event to the focus on new Iranian cinema at 18. New Horizons IFF, We Only Live Twice is a presentation of Iranian artists working in the field of expanded cinema.
You only live twice or so it seems - sings Nancy Sinatra in a James Bond film. We take this line to metaphorically describe conditions of contemporary artists from Iran. The conditions defined by duality and separation - two experiences, which become the axes of the exhibition. Before and after; inside and outside narrate the space and time within the works and the show. How to function in a dual reality? Can you relate to the global culture by using the contemporary art idioms, while talking about specifics of life under the Islamic Republic? How to make contemporary art in a world conflicted with the global mainstream culture, where a whole different set of social and political norms applies? Everyone leads a double life: a private and a public one. In Iran, where the state keeps a close watch over the public sphere, these two lives can take separate paths, progressing in a very different rhythms. Not every artist can adapt to the strict state rules, so a big chunk of Iranian art practice happens outside of the country. The real Iran is confronted with its mental image (Iran remembered or imagined abroad), adding yet another layer to the intricate web of the double lives and double meanings. Do those who live twice (globally and locally, privately and publicly, with or against the rules, inside or outside the country) also have a dual identity? Let's look for answers by following the footsteps of the artists whose video projects make up the 90-minute screening, shown in a continuous loop. With a special appearance of a Polish artist Aneta Grzeszykowska, who we invited to present a photography project completed in Iran called Iranian Film Stills.
artists: Arash Nassiri, Bahar Noorizadeh, Pooya Razi, Mohammad Shirvani, Maryam Tafakory, Tala Vahabzadeh, Rambod Vala and Aneta Grzeszykowska
curators: Ewa Szabłowska, Stach Szabłowski
curatorial assistance: Joanna Stembalska (Studio Gallery BWA Wrocław)
exhibition space: Fabien Lédé
Studio Gallery BWA Wrocław
46a/301 Ruska st. (in the courtyard, 2nd floor) 28 July – August 5, 2 PM – 10 PM August 8-18 during the opening hours of Studio Gallery BWA Wrocław: Wed – Thur 2 PM – 6 PM, Fri 12 PM – 7 PM, Sat 12 PM – 4 PM free entry
opening: July 27, 7 PM
curatorial guided tour: July 28-29 at 6 PM and every day between July 31 – August 4 at 6 PM
