Dastan presents the first in a new series of exhibitions, called 'Soft Edge of the Blade', at Frieze's No.9 Cork Street in February 2022. This will be a 'Dastan: Outside' event, gathering a long list of contemporary Iranian artists. The focus of this project is on how Iranian artists today deal, in their work, with different aspects of violence in its various 'soft', symbolic, hidden or underlying guises, common to the "Middle East". The outlook is not limited to the more obviously visible 'state' violence of war or political oppression.The intended scope is broader and more subtle, extending to numerous more insidious forms of ‘soft’ violence affecting Iranians today: migration and diaspora, identity and gender, patriarchy and family, the impact of the complexities of history on the day-to-day life of Iranians at home and or abroad, the use of language - e.g. on social media - to disparage or oppress... 'Soft Edge of the Blade' allows UK audiences to continue exploring Iran’s contemporary scene, with a focus on powerful themes of relevance and interest to global audiences.

Artists

• -  Bahman Mohassess
• -  Charles Hossein Zenderoudi
• -  Ardeshir Mohassess
• -  Parviz Tanavoli
• -  Nikzad Nodjoumi
• -  Ali Banisadr
• -  Bita Fayyazi
• -  Sahand Hesamiyan
• -  Fereydoun Ave
• -  Ghasem Hajizadeh
• -  Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam
• -  Farah Ossouli
• -  Ali Akbar Sadeghi
• -  Hoda Kashiha
• -  Farrokh Mahdavi
• -  Amin Montazeri
• -  Mamali Shafahi
• -  Nasser Bakhshi
• -  Peybak
• -  Sam Samiee
• -  Ghasemi Brothers
• -  Homa Delvaray
• -  Andisheh Avini
• -  Sina Shiri
• -  Mehdi Ghadyanloo
• -  Shayan Sajadian
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