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The work of artists Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh and Bita Fayyazi is some of the most recognizable and controversial Iranian art. In an exclusive interview, the three friends discuss censorship, life in Tehran and the Iranian art market.
If Damien Hirst’s iconic dot paintings represent a certain moment in time for young British artists, it might be said that Ramin Haerizadeh’s striking multimedia collages represent contemporary Iranian art now. His images, along with the paintings of his younger brother Rokni, are, like Hirst’s, striking, memorable and beloved of pioneering collector Charles Saatchi. Along with the autobiographical sculptures of their friend Bita Fayyazi, the Haerizadehs work is amongst the most recognizable art coming out of Tehran or any of the destinations where Iranian artists find themselves in exile.
Indeed, Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh themselves are now based in Dubai where not only do they feel the freedom required to work as they want, but where they are also able to exhibit their sometimes controversial artworks, which they were never able to do so in Tehran. The TV screen (which features in Rokni’s most recent creations) and constant communication with Fayyazi, keeps them informed of life at home.
Coming together again for their latest group show at Gallery Thaddeus Ropac in Paris, Rokni, Ramin and Fayyazi are exploring the human condition, from a personal experience at an early age (in the case of Fayyazi) to the events that surrounded the Iranian Presidential election in July 2009 (in the case of Ramin). Entitled Be Crowned With Laurel in Oblivion, the exhibition shows not only the artists’ connection in terms of like-mindedness, but also a shared love for and deep knowledge of art history.
In an exclusive interview that took place at Gallery Thaddeus Ropac, the artists explain their latest works and share their thoughts on censorship, the importance of travel and the art market.
What is your definition of luxury?
Rokni and Ramin: Silence.
Bita: Buying artwork.
If luxury were an object?
All: Artworks!
If luxury were a person?
All: Louise Bourgeois.
If luxury were a place?
Rokni and Ramin: Dubai.
Bita: Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, where I’m working right now.
If luxury were a moment?
All: This moment.
Luxuryculture.com spoke with Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh and Bita Fayyazi at Gallery Thaddeus Ropac, Paris, where their exhibition, Be Crowned With Laurel in Oblivion, runs until June 30.
What is the theme of your new exhibition?
Bita: The exhibition by the three of us is called Be Crowned With Laurel in Oblivion, which comes from the poem, Howl, by Allen Ginsberg. The poem is about the human condition during the beat movement. If you read it the poem, you will relate to it. The whole exhibition is basically about human conditions in any part of the world.
Is it also about the events in Iran in July 2009?
Rokni: Yes, it is. We started to use that theme to tell another story about the human condition under those circumstances.
Bita: My concept is more personal. It may be related to what happened but not necessarily directly. It’s about me and a certain stage of my life when I had an experience at a very young age. I’m just bringing it all out into the front, expressing it in my art through my sculptures.
Is there a political message that you hope people take from your art?
Ramin: Not a message but rather a feeling that reflects through my work to the viewer, just like a mirror. They can put themselves in front of the work and can see themselves.
Bita: The artwork has to speak for itself. It’s there for people to get their own interpretations.
Rokni: Ramin and I are now somewhat in exile in Dubai. My window to Iranian society has become a TV. I see how these tragedies are covered in the media as entertainment. That’s why I started to capture the TV screen in my work and started to entertain myself with it. Some of these works include Michael Jackson for the same reason. I started to add some narrative to it with George Orwell’s Animal Farm and ancient Indian books.
Has your work changed since moving to Dubai?
Ramin: Absolutely. Dubai as a city is more open and not under the suppression that exists in Iran. As an artist working in Iran, you always have this tension and pressure that someone could come to your studio and check what you’re doing and kick you out of the country, if you are lucky. If not, they put you in jail. In Dubai, we are freer and more relaxed. For us, it’s a chance to focus on our work.
What is your history that you now sometimes exhibit together or work in collaboration?
Bita: We’ve been together for nine or ten years and are very closely related work-wise and in terms of friendship. It’s like-mindedness.
Rokni: Also, we have a rebellious nature in common. Iran makes you like that - you want to break all the taboos and push the boundaries.
Bita: At a certain point, we collaborated on a lot of projects together. We did a sculpture that we put in a van and gave it a tour around Tehran. It was quite an exciting period. We learnt a lot form each other. And still it goes on.
You grew up in post-revolution Iran and your work is filled with serious issues yet you all seem so happy!
Bita: But of course – life goes on! You still have to have parties and see your friends. There are times when you have to be serious and work and times when your mind is engaged with some of the terrible things that have happened. We are fortunate to be artists as we have this ability to get it out of our system, which isn’t always possible for everybody. I’m not saying that I’m making good art but at least I’m getting rid of all the pent up frustration. We let it all out!
So your work is a kind of therapy?
Bita: I don’t like to think of it as therapy. Is it therapeutic? It could be. But when the viewer is looking at the work, they do not think about whether it is therapeutic for the artist. A viewer is looking for what the artist is trying to say to him or her. In the long run, if the work really has an impact on you, then you start thinking of the sociological aspects of it. But right in front of you at the first glance, what you’re seeing is an art piece and you’re looking at its artist values rather than anything else.
What is the process of your work from the moment an idea grabs you?
Rokni: The first step is thinking about society in Iran and after that it’s about dealing with art history or the philosophy of humanity in general. It starts at one point and then goes through different levels. For example, when they started to rape people in the jails in Iran, I became very angry and somewhat wild, and started to do one of the series that I will show here. I dealt with the starting point with one of the poems, with references to Francis Bacon, and elements of reglious paintings from throughout the history of art. After that, it’s on a completely different level for the viewer. If the audience is wise enough, they can find it.
What inspires you?
Bita: Good music, good books, good films. That’s our food.
What have you felt nourished by recently?
Bita: I’ve watched Anti Christ three times. I felt so sympathetic with the film. White Ribbon was also extraordinary, as was Fish Tank, a Scottish/English film. I couldn’t move my eyes from the screen when watching A Prophet – it was fantastic. I have recently discovered the French director Bruno Dumond, who has made some weird films which are very calm, very cold. His films 29 Palms and L’Humanite are a unique genre of filmmaking.
How much does travel also inform your work?
Ramin: Iranian passports allow us to go only to Turkey, Venezuela, Cuba…
Bita: Any new culture is a new experience and a lifetime experience. I can say on behalf of all of us that travelling makes you a different person, gives you another dimension. You become a better person, more understanding, and hopefully this will be transferred into your work.
Which artists influenced you while growing up?
Rokni: Our uncle had a book on David Hockney and sent birthday cards with pictures of his paintings. It was important because somehow I learnt to draw with the book.
Do you still like his work?
Rokni: Of course. Recently, Ramin and I bought one of his works for our collection from his latest show. It’s a drawing made using a computer tablet.
You have previously said that Van Gough is an inspiration. How so?
Rokni: I think every artist has to deal with Van Gough.
Ramin: He’s a great advertisement for being a bohemian artist. Especially in Iran, when you read what he wrote about suffering.
Rokni: There’s an idea of some kind of depressed intellectualism that still exists. If you are more depressed that means you are more intelligent. If you want to be a good artist you have to suffer. It’s the same thinking.
Ramin: But Van Gough came from a very rich family.
Rokni: It was the fashion at the time. All of them - Gaguin, Cezanne – they chose to suffer.
Rokni: In Iran, they don’t choose.
What are your thoughts on the younger generation of Iranian artists?
Bita: Their approach is different but you can see inklings of talent that is different from the previous generation. But they need time and more openness. That is what they lack if they’re not improving. Their main problem is lack of communication with the outside world and lack of understanding of other languages. Through reading you learn a lot. If something is not written in English and we do not have a good translation, then we do not have the core or the essence of what is written about certain artworks.
How do you support these artists?
Rokni: The three of us collect young Iranian artists. What we earn we spend on art.
Bita: At my house I don’t have much good furniture but if I have the money and I see a good artwork, whether it is from the younger or older generation, I buy it.
Is it now easier for young Iranian artists in terms of censorship?
Rokni: The thing you have to be careful with censorship is that you start to become conservative. Your art becomes more subtle.
Bita: That could be the case with some artists but not all. I remember a Chinese artist once being asked about censorship. The artist replied, “Imagine you’re handicapped and don’t have hands and someone gives you a cup of tea. You will find a way to drink that tea.” With good artists, who think and contemplate and linger on ideas, they have to invent a language. They say what they want to say but with a new language.
Who is it that collects your work?
Bita: We have some Arab collectors who are interested in not only Iranian artwork but also Middle Eastern art in general. Some French and British have recently become interested in Iranian art. At home, for two to three years we had these young, emerging art collectors coming to our places and buying our artworks. But as soon as the crisis came, they started to buy land and open restaurants rather than buy art. They’re businessmen and entrepreneurs, so they’re investing in something. There are still people who are passionate about art and they still buy, but they’re not necessarily Iranian.
Rokni: We have a few big collectors who collect for a passion and who follow us. Most of the good Iranian collectors trained during the Shah regime. After the revolution, the Islamic republic started to occupy their houses, so most of their collections are gone.