The Ninth Annual Contemporary Art of Persbook
(Mazandaran, Iran)
Hyrcanian Forests
Darzikola Ecology: October 29-November 7,2019
Concentrating on Hyrcanian forest and ecology, Persbook –like prior events- pursues long-term objectives concerning protection of environment and international-Iranian ancient heritage and calls for modernist and innovative artists for participation in a space-oriented project. The present event occurs in Darzikola Ecology with cooperation of Visual Arts Association of Mazandaran and curatorship of Neda Darzi at Hyrcanian Forest in Darzikola.
Perspective:
Ancient manuscripts and modern literature of Iran significantly refer to ecology variety of Iran. Although they are primarily described in poets, as Jean-Paul Sartre points out, Iranian ecology are observed in painting, sculpturing, and composing. Impacts of environment upon creation of manuscripts and crucial artistic works cannot be denied. Ecological, cultural, and social details of artists are evaluated and ecocriticism is required. Reactions of humanities to environmental crisis make contribution to interdisciplinary discussions, including eco-linguistics, environmental ethics, and ecocriticism in literature and art. Ecocriticism was created by Rückert in 1996, as a late reaction of literature to environmental crisis. Ecocriticism evaluates relationship between human and physical space in artistic work and literature. Also, it studies relationship between religion, ethics, language, gender, and environment. This kind of criticism highlights environmental concerns and improvement of relationship between human and environment through literature, culture, and language.
Questions:
In three recent events, Persbook concentrated on special geographies for the purpose of filling the gap between artists and the society ecology, primarily due to crucial social and ecological concerns and eco-criticism.
The present event addresses the following questions, concurrent with international Hyrcanian register:
1- How can sustainable cultivation avoid extreme destruction of forests?
2- How can a critical and leading artist as an environmental activist avoid 3- What duties do artists have concerning environmental changes on the basis of eco-criticism?
This annual ceremony is a big space for introduction of different viewpoints in this regard.
Objectives:
Close attention of artists as social activists to hyrcanian forests and their aesthetical and scholastic Capacities;
Awareness of artists on natural ecology of Hyrcanian forests and attention to them as ecologists for hyrcanian register;
Promotion of participative art and team work;
Encouragement of young artists for advancement of environmental art and importance of environmental concerns;
Emphasis upon different cultural areas of activities in Iran;
Direction of public opinions towards the fact that Hyrcanian forests convey tourism significance, and also that such events can make contributions to promotion of cultural identity of northern areas of Iran;
Attention to the fact that Hyrcanian Forests are international-Iranian heritage for new generations and that promotion of this culture worldwide guarantees this viewpoint.
This Year Geography:
North areas of Iran are full of forests known as northern forests. These ecosystems enjoying plant and animal species and landscapes are located in western parts of Caspian Sea and are viewed as broad-leaved and deciduous forests. They are known as Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests worldwide.
Hyrcanian Forests globally registered by UNESCO due to their exclusively valuable features are located in broad-leaved mixed ecology of west and southwest areas of Caspian Sea (including 55000 square kilometer) in some regions of 5 north provinces of Iran and Azerbaijan. From phytosociological viewpoint, Hyrcanian Forests are covered by valuable plant communities full of special trees, shrubs, and plants. In different landscapes of this region from plains to heights, species of trees and shrubs are as follows: oak, boxwood, alder, Pterocarya fraxinifolia, Parrotia persica, hornbeam, maple, elm, European ash, sweet cherry, sorbus torminalis, yew, linden, date-plum, and beech. They are the most well-known and widespread trees species of hyrcanian montane forests. Across beech-covered areas, Quercus macranthera, Ficus benghalensis, Acer campestre, juniper, and rural pastures are observed. This ecosystems are habitats of 100 species of mammals and 296 species of birds.
Species of Hyrcanian Forest ecosystem birds are as follows: passerine, starling, woodpecker, shoveler, pheasant, partridge, Quail, common wood pigeon, hawk, griffon vulture, Eurasian sparrow hawk, gray duck, eagle, and owl. The following are mammals of this ecology: red deer, roebuck, leopard, wolf, hog, brown bear, corsac fox, jackal, otter, porcupine, hedgehog, Neotoma lepida, rabbit, wildcat, badger, and Caspian horse. Hyrcanian forests are not only significant for their longevity but also for their oxygen duration, preservation of water and soil structure, and prevention of flood. Despite global register of Hyrcanian Forests, this ecology regarded as one of the oldest forests of world is threatened by extreme use of wood resources, cutting of trees for construction in wood industries, landfill, erection of dams and highways.
Invitation:
Invitation of the prominent artists of interdisciplinary visual areas of study for holding workshops and making environmental performance;
The invited artists are: Mahdiyeh Abul-Hassan, Borjas Art Group, Fariba Broufar, Negar Farajiani, Hamid Fateh, Toktam Hemati, Ismaeel Ghanbari, Saeed Khaleghi, Behnam Kamrani, Elahe Moghadami, Mahmoud Maktabi, Mahsa Karimizadeh, Tahmineh Mirmotahari, Ziba Pashang, Farideh Shahsavarani, and Majid Ziyaee
Invitation for workshops are based on forest ecology and artistic register.
The Approach:
Transnational result of this project shall be registered in photos, film, and book.
The selected works shall be exhibited in Donyaye Arezoo.
Condition of Attendance in Workshops:
For attending in workshops, Iranian artists should send their resume and a Pdf of their previous works to Persbook secretariat ([email protected]) until October 17, 2019;
Since these workshops and projects of artists are space-oriented, all their required materials shall be prepared by themselves. As performance of artists are made in the forest, the materials should not damage the environment;
Since the artists attended per one workshop are 30 at maximum, the artists shall be registered thrice. They shall select two related workshops in the firth four days. The related workshops shall be mentioned in timetable. The artists intending to attend in second-time and third-time workshops shall be separately registered.
Way and Manner of Holding:
The invitees shall inhabit at the place of carrying out the project i.e. Residence of in Darzikola Village between October 29 and November 7;
During this period, the workshops shall be held and also the invitees shall make environmental performance of their artistic works. We attempt to encourage our awareness of domestic culture of Hyrcanian inhabitants, experience of foresters, measures for maintenance and protection of trees, natural nutrition, and life style and record our observations in different artistic interdisciplinary works;
Until February 9, 2020, the final projects including personal and group findings and observations of Hyrcanian Forests shall be selected in participation with masters of workshops and the curator for public presentation;
The selected results of these workshops along with photographs of environmental performance shall be documented at the Book of Artists and the related documentary shall be presented in Donyaye Arzoo, Sari.
Workshops & Discussions of the First Four Days:
Dr. Behnam Kamrani/ Artist Book & Sketch Book/ Tuesday/ October 29/ 19-20:30 P.M;
Hyrcanian Silvics/ Wednesday/ October 30/ 9-12 A.M
Dr. Behnam Kamrani/ Today Design/ Wednesday/ October 30/ 14-18 P.M
Negar Farajiani/ Green Corners/ Wednesday to Friday/ October 30-Nov 1/ 9-12:30 A.M & 14-18
Elahe Moghadami/ Eco-print/ Thursday/ October 30/ 9-12:30 A.M & 14-18 P.M
Taktom Hemati/ Hyrcanian Species of Plants in Recycled Fabrics/ Thursday/October 31/ 19-20:30
Taktom Hemati/ Fabric Recycling/ Friday / November 1/ 9-12:30 A.M & 14-18
Mahdiyeh Abul-Hassan/ Creation of Innovative Paper (leaves, plants, recycled papers, and natural colors)/ Saturday/ November 2/ 9 A.M-12:30 P.M & 12:30-14 P.M.
Workshop & Discussion of the Second Four Days:
Mahmoud Maktabi/ why is not there Environmental Art in Iran?/Sunday/ November 4/ 19-20:30 P.M
Mahmoud Maktabi/ Philosophy & Performance of Environmental Art/ Monday to Wednesday/ November 3 to 6/ 9-12:30 A.M & 14-18 P.M
Discussion Panel
Majid Ziyaee/ Experiences on Participative Art & Special-Space Projects/ Tuesday/ November 7/14:00-14:45
Omid Ghajarian/Contemporary Art & Caring / Tuesday/ November 7/ 14:45-15:30
Javad Hasanjani/What is Context? / Tuesday/ November 7/15:30-16:15
Zarvan Rouhbakhshan/ The Relation between Human and Nature in Art /Tuesday/ November 7/16:15-17:00
Persbook 2019
www.persbookart.com
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