Episode 27: On this episode, I talk to Fariba Farshad, of Candlestar in the UK. We talk all about the Burnt Generation exhibition, which she created. It was displayed at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois.

This group exhibition seeks to convey the variety of ways in which decades of political unrest and social upheaval have impacted the Iranian people through a mix of documentary photography, portraiture and fine art photography. Moving through urban and rural locales, the exhibition will offer a rare opportunity to set aside the stereotypical, mediated imagery of Iran and enter directly into the worlds of artists who have lived and worked in the country. Many of the images featured in the exhibition have not previously been displayed in the United States. This exhibition is produced by Candlestar, a cultural consultancy based in London and is curated by Fariba Farshad, Director of Candlestar.

The 2015-2016 season is sponsored by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Abramson Arts Foundation, and Nixon Peabody LLCP.

‘Many commentators have said that some of the most exciting photography in the world today is being made in Iran,’ says Candlestar Director Fariba Farshad, who has curated Burnt Generation, Candlestar’s new exhibition of Iranian Photography. ‘We hope that this exciting exhibition will confirm this view… ‘ Burnt Generation, which was on display at Somerset House from 10 April to 1 June 2014, brought together work by eight contemporary photographers that had rarely been seen outside Iran.  The photographers were Azadeh Akhlaghi; Gohar Dashti; Shadi Ghadirian; Babak Kazemi; Abbas Kowsari; Ali Nadjian/Ramyar Manouchehrzadeh; Newsha Tavakolian and Sadegh Tirafkan. By presenting rarely-seen work by these photographers, Burnt Generation presented an opportunity to move to a place beyond cliché; a moment to forget the stereotypical images of Iran and enter the distinctive personal, cultural histories of these highly original and intellectually engaged image makers.

 

The exhibition garnered wide spread press interest, both national and global. Please see below for press coverage to date. The Guardian has featured an article about Newsha Tavakolian and her work, read the article online here.  The British Journal of Photography has also written an article about the exhibition which you can also read online. The Financial Times has also reviewed Burnt Generation which you can access here.

You may have access to the exhibition leaflet here: Burnt Generation Leaflet