Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet | Contemporary Persians | The Mohammed Afkhami Collection
Neil Koenig, ex BBC producer and current ideaXme board advisor and guest interviewer, interviews Mohammed Afkhami, philanthropist and art collector.
If asked to name a country associated with modern art, few people today might think of Iran. The collector Mohammed Afkhami is working hard to change that perception.
Chapter Markers:
00:00 We're here to idea everyone. To fire up your curiosity and connect you with the people and ideas that shape our world.
01:18 I left Iran during the Revolution at the age of 4 in 1979.
03:32 An accidental passion.
07:21 A palace of treasures.
19:19 Art can serve as a bridge to the rest of the world.
31:33 This wonderful show that gives you a fantastic snapshot overview of the diversity of Iranian Art.
40:16 Some way of delivering these works in an online setting.
40:30 So it is a combination of bricks and clicks.
40:42 Is the goal to also make it easier for audiences in Iran to see some of the works in your collection?
43:54 In this age that we are in now anything that promotes misunderstood or unknown cultures is a plus.
In recent years he has amassed a large collection of Iranian art. Mr Afkhami says his love of art began at an early age: “we used to visit my grandfather's house multiple times a week, and he collected Islamic art and antiquities, Western artworks, Japanese lacquer…it was a fascinating and enchanting house of treasures”.
He left Iran as a young child, after the revolution at the end of the 1970s. After embarking on a successful career in finance, he eventually returned in the early 2000s. “It felt like coming home” he explains.
Mohammed Afkhami was surprised and delighted by the quality of contemporary art available, even though there were only a small number of galleries open at the time in Tehran. He bought works by Sirak Melkonian and Massoud Arabshahi for around $500 apiece.
Since then, the collection has grown to include works by artists such as Shirin Neshat, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Parviz Tanavoli, Abbas Kiarostami and many more.
What is the art scene like in Iran today? According to Mr Afkhami it is thriving, despite the impact of sanctions. There are now hundreds of galleries in Tehran, he says: “an artist is lucky to have a show that lasts longer than a month, because there's such a backlog of artists wanting to exhibit”.
In an interview with me for ideaXme, Mohammed Afkhami talks about his passion for his country’s art, how he built his collection and how he works with artists and galleries, and how art can serve to broaden understanding and break down cultural barriers. “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection”, can be seen at the Asia Society in New York until May 2022.
Drawing from the collection of financier and philanthropist Mohammed Afkhami, the exhibition comprises paintings, sculptures, photographs, and videos. Of the 23 participating artists, over a third live in Iran, over a third live outside of Iran, and five live in New York City. These established, mid-career, and emerging artists are working from unique vantage points, informed by a rich cultural heritage as well as more recent extensive social and political unrest in Iran. Referencing “contemporary Persians,” the exhibition’s title evokes an ancient culture that is still very much alive today. The curator of the exhibition is Dr. Fereshteh Daftari.
All images, in order of appearance, courtesy of the Mohammed Afkhami Foundation, except as noted below.
Mohmoud Bakhshi, Tulip Rise from the Blood of the Nation's Youth from the Industrial Revolution series, 2008
Morteza Ahmadvand, Becoming, 2015
Rokni Haeirzadeh, We Will Join Hands in Love and Rebuild our Country, 2012
Parviz Tanavoli, Blue Heech, 2005
Shirin Aliabadi, Miss Hybrid 3, 2008
Nazgol Ansarinia, Untitled II from the Patterns series, 2008
2021- 53 Installation view of “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection” at Asia Society Museum September 10, 2021, through May 8, 2022. Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2021, courtesy of Asia Society
2021-18 Installation view of “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection” on view at Asia Society Museum September 10, 2021, through May 8, 2022. Timo Nasseri, Parsec #15, 2009, and Ali Banisadr, We Haven’t Landed on Earth Yet, 2012, courtesy of Mohammed Afkhami Foundation. Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2021, courtesy of Asia Society
Farhad Moshiri, Flying Carpet, 2007. Photographs © Neil Koenig, 2021
Shiva Ahmadi, Oil Barrel 13, 2010
Y.Z. Kami, Black Dome, 2015. Shirazeh Houshiary, Pupa, 2014
Alireza Dayani, Untitled from the Metamorphosis series, 2009
Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en
ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. More soon. Get involved: https://radioideaxme.com/get-involved/
Mission: Move the human story forward™
Видео Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet | Contemporary Persians | The Mohammed Afkhami Collection канала ideaXme
If asked to name a country associated with modern art, few people today might think of Iran. The collector Mohammed Afkhami is working hard to change that perception.
Chapter Markers:
00:00 We're here to idea everyone. To fire up your curiosity and connect you with the people and ideas that shape our world.
01:18 I left Iran during the Revolution at the age of 4 in 1979.
03:32 An accidental passion.
07:21 A palace of treasures.
19:19 Art can serve as a bridge to the rest of the world.
31:33 This wonderful show that gives you a fantastic snapshot overview of the diversity of Iranian Art.
40:16 Some way of delivering these works in an online setting.
40:30 So it is a combination of bricks and clicks.
40:42 Is the goal to also make it easier for audiences in Iran to see some of the works in your collection?
43:54 In this age that we are in now anything that promotes misunderstood or unknown cultures is a plus.
In recent years he has amassed a large collection of Iranian art. Mr Afkhami says his love of art began at an early age: “we used to visit my grandfather's house multiple times a week, and he collected Islamic art and antiquities, Western artworks, Japanese lacquer…it was a fascinating and enchanting house of treasures”.
He left Iran as a young child, after the revolution at the end of the 1970s. After embarking on a successful career in finance, he eventually returned in the early 2000s. “It felt like coming home” he explains.
Mohammed Afkhami was surprised and delighted by the quality of contemporary art available, even though there were only a small number of galleries open at the time in Tehran. He bought works by Sirak Melkonian and Massoud Arabshahi for around $500 apiece.
Since then, the collection has grown to include works by artists such as Shirin Neshat, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Parviz Tanavoli, Abbas Kiarostami and many more.
What is the art scene like in Iran today? According to Mr Afkhami it is thriving, despite the impact of sanctions. There are now hundreds of galleries in Tehran, he says: “an artist is lucky to have a show that lasts longer than a month, because there's such a backlog of artists wanting to exhibit”.
In an interview with me for ideaXme, Mohammed Afkhami talks about his passion for his country’s art, how he built his collection and how he works with artists and galleries, and how art can serve to broaden understanding and break down cultural barriers. “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection”, can be seen at the Asia Society in New York until May 2022.
Drawing from the collection of financier and philanthropist Mohammed Afkhami, the exhibition comprises paintings, sculptures, photographs, and videos. Of the 23 participating artists, over a third live in Iran, over a third live outside of Iran, and five live in New York City. These established, mid-career, and emerging artists are working from unique vantage points, informed by a rich cultural heritage as well as more recent extensive social and political unrest in Iran. Referencing “contemporary Persians,” the exhibition’s title evokes an ancient culture that is still very much alive today. The curator of the exhibition is Dr. Fereshteh Daftari.
All images, in order of appearance, courtesy of the Mohammed Afkhami Foundation, except as noted below.
Mohmoud Bakhshi, Tulip Rise from the Blood of the Nation's Youth from the Industrial Revolution series, 2008
Morteza Ahmadvand, Becoming, 2015
Rokni Haeirzadeh, We Will Join Hands in Love and Rebuild our Country, 2012
Parviz Tanavoli, Blue Heech, 2005
Shirin Aliabadi, Miss Hybrid 3, 2008
Nazgol Ansarinia, Untitled II from the Patterns series, 2008
2021- 53 Installation view of “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection” at Asia Society Museum September 10, 2021, through May 8, 2022. Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2021, courtesy of Asia Society
2021-18 Installation view of “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection” on view at Asia Society Museum September 10, 2021, through May 8, 2022. Timo Nasseri, Parsec #15, 2009, and Ali Banisadr, We Haven’t Landed on Earth Yet, 2012, courtesy of Mohammed Afkhami Foundation. Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2021, courtesy of Asia Society
Farhad Moshiri, Flying Carpet, 2007. Photographs © Neil Koenig, 2021
Shiva Ahmadi, Oil Barrel 13, 2010
Y.Z. Kami, Black Dome, 2015. Shirazeh Houshiary, Pupa, 2014
Alireza Dayani, Untitled from the Metamorphosis series, 2009
Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en
ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. More soon. Get involved: https://radioideaxme.com/get-involved/
Mission: Move the human story forward™
Видео Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet | Contemporary Persians | The Mohammed Afkhami Collection канала ideaXme
Mohammed Afkhami Collection Rebel Jester Mystic Poet Iranian Art Iranian Artists Iranian Culture art which bridges cultures the history of Iran in art contemporary artists contemporary Iranian artists Neil Koenig ideaXme Neil Koenig and Mohammed Afkhami ideaXme move the human story forward Neil Koenig ideaXme interviewers Neil Koenig TV Producer BBC Producer Neil Koenig Iranian art where to see Iranian art learning about Iran the people of Iran
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23 марта 2022 г. 13:35:13
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