Iranian Artists’ Vision Brought to Life by Collaborators in Los Angeles Exhibition

An innovative exhibition in Los Angeles is showcasing the creative output of Iranian artists whose works were realized by American counterparts due to challenging circumstances in Iran. Titled “To Share a Stomach,” the exhibition at The Brick gallery features pieces conceived by 25 Iranian artists and fabricated through a collaborative process with 24 artists in the United States.

The project was initiated by curator Aram Moshayedi in March, following recent escalations of conflict in Iran. The artists in Iran faced significant obstacles, including widespread internet blackouts, displacement, and the loss of studios and artwork. These conditions, coupled with an exceptionally tight five-month timeline, led to a diverse and sometimes uneven collection of works. However, the exhibition, running through September 19, is described as a poignant exploration of communication difficulties and the empathy that can bridge them.

The collaborative nature of the exhibition has turned the process of creation and viewer interpretation into a fragile act of shared understanding. Emails and translated instructions from the Iranian artists to the curator reveal an imperfect chain of communication, highlighting the complexities of translating artistic vision across distances and difficult circumstances.

Works on display include a cardboard bunker accompanied by war soundscapes, a suspended glass sword, and videos featuring battered boxing gloves. These pieces are interpreted as meditations on vulnerability, violence, and resilience, collapsing everyday textures into profound artistic statements.

The exhibition’s booklet provides an additional layer of engagement by reproducing the initial communications between the Iranian artists and the curator. This allows viewers to compare the artists’ original ideas with the executed works in the gallery, offering insight into how the pieces evolved amidst wartime conditions.

The Brick, a nonprofit art space in Los Angeles, has a history of supporting contemporary culture through exhibitions and public programs, often highlighting emerging and under-recognized talent.

Artists whose works are featured in the exhibition include those who collaborated on pieces such as “What the Clouds Remember and the Mountains Forget,” “Aram’s sneakers: Mount Eynali,” “Glory / 50904020,” “Can You S…?,” “The Anatomy of a Postponed Intent: The Glass Blade,” and “The Conference of the Birds.”

The exhibition challenges conventional notions of artistic creation by emphasizing the trust involved in handing over one’s vision to another and the responsibility of realizing it.

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Global Affairs Desk

Global Affairs Desk at The Chenab Times covers international developments, global diplomacy, and foreign policy issues through fact-based reporting, explainers, and analytical pieces. The desk focuses on major geopolitical events, diplomatic engagements, and international trends, with an emphasis on verified information, multiple perspectives, and contextual understanding of global affairs.