Reliving thousands of suppressed collective memories: Sara Mozafari
Behnaz Fatemi

June 21 - July 15, 2023
Opening Reception: July 8, 2023 from 3-5pm
Performances: Thu, June 22, 3 – 5pm
                         Thu, June 29, 3 – 5pm
                         Thu, July 6, 3 – 5pm

The Red Head Gallery is pleased to showcase Reliving Thousands of Suppressed Collective Memories by Sara Mozafari.

Sara Mozafari’s text-based installation and performance Reliving Thousands of Suppressed Collective Memories work serves as a vessel through which the artist will honor thousands of individuals who have been persecuted by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past forty-four years. Tragically, many of the murdered individuals were clandestinely buried in unknown graves, depriving their families of the opportunity to mourn their loss properly. Honoring these lives lost and amplifying their silent voices, Reliving Thousands of Suppressed Collective Memories engages in the act of belated mourning and illuminates the ongoing violations suffered by the people of Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, striving to raise awareness of these profound injustices. Linking it to the Woman-Life-Freedom Revolution, Mozafari’s work urges an end to the ongoing execution of individuals and advocates for the preservation of lives. 

Performance

In Iran, there is a longstanding tradition associated with funerals. During this time, close friends or relatives gather at the home of the deceased to participate in meaningful customs. One of these customs involves the preparation of stuffed dates filled with walnuts while whispering Sureh-ye-Hamd, the opening chapter of the Quran, as a gesture believed to bring blessings to the soul of the deceased. These actions hold cultural significance and are carried out as a way to honor the departed individual. Finally, the stuffed dates are shared with the wider community, symbolizing a sense of togetherness and encouraging others to partake in the recitation of Sureh-ye-Hamd for the purpose of bestowing blessings upon the departed soul.

In Mozafari's adaptation of this tradition, instead of reciting Sureh-ye-Hamd, she will whisper the names of victims who have suffered due to the authorities' brutality in Iran. Mozafari will personally stuff the dates with walnuts, symbolizing the connection between the victims and their stories. Afterward, she will serve these symbolic treats to the public and invite them to whisper the names of the victims as a way to honor and raise awareness for the Iranian victims.

Sara Mozafari lives and works in Toronto, ON. She received her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Design from the University of Toronto with distinction in 2017 and her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Media, and Design from OCAD University in 2021, for which she received the Dean's Medal. Her thesis's core concept focused on visualizing an imaginary space grounded on spatial theories and exploring a relationship between space, displacement, memory, identity, and social relations. She presented her work at UAAC in 2020 and 2021, the University of Virginia in 2021, the Asia Global Cultural Studies Forum in 2021, and the Society of Architectural Historians in 2022. She received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council. Sara's Moqarnas and Discoriented Spatial Memories 3 was selected for the Art Gallery of Mississauga Juror's Award in 2022. Aside from her art practice, Sara works as an architectural designer at HDR.

Mozafari has been a member of Red Head since 2022. For an updated CV please click here.

Dancing In the Name of

the God of Rainbows

Behnaz Fatemi

Behnaz Fatemi is an Iranian artist who relocated to Canada in 2018. She holds a BFA in painting from Iran and is currently pursuing her MFA in studio arts at the University of Waterloo. With an interdisciplinary approach, Fatemi explores various mediums, including drawing, sculpture, video, and installation, to investigate the connection between humans and their behaviors. Her exploration seeks to answer the question of how human sensibility interconnects with topics such as society, politics, religion, and personal beliefs. Fatemi's work has been showcased in group and solo exhibitions across Iran and Canada. She served as the 2020-2021 Kitchener Artist in Residence and received the Emerging Artist award at the 2020 Arts Awards Waterloo Region. Fatemi has been the recipient of several grants, including the Region of Waterloo 2023 Art Funds and Pat the Dog, for her proposal exploring the lived experiences of immigrants in oppressive regimes. Her work will be featured in the 2023 CAFCA biennial.

Dancing In the Name of the God of Rainbows

This video performance is a response to the ongoing Women Life Freedom movement in Iran, sparked by the tragic death of Jina/Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police for not wearing a proper Hijab. The idea arose a few months after Jina’s death, Kian Pirfalak, a 9-year-old innocent child, also died in a government security forces' attack in Izah, Khuzestan province, where Bakhtiari culture is prevalent.

 A viral video emerged during his funeral, showing Kian testing his hand-made boat and proclaiming, "In the name of the God of rainbows”. Inspired by this video, I was struck by the tragedy and the juxtaposition of Bakhtiari people dancing during Kian's ceremony. In the Bakhtiari culture, when a young person is lost, older women sing sorrowful poems called "Gagiro" to commemorate their passing. I draw from my ancestral roots in Bakhtiari culture, where traditional dance is a tribute to the departed, having eventually channeled my anger, sadness, and anxiety since September into dancing.

 Through this performance, I aim to pay homage to the lives lost, recognize the unwavering resilience of those fighting for fundamental human rights, and acknowledge the collective grief of a nation. Dance, to me, emerges as a powerful form of expression—a medium to show all the anger in a poetic and soft language.

 In “the Name of the God of Rainbows" is my tribute to the courageous individuals who have become symbols of resistance and hope. It is a plea for a future where every person can live with dignity, freedom, and equality.