Wolves in the Wall presents two installations by Iranian-born Canadian artist Sayeh Sarfaraz. This exhibition was conceived specifically for the ground floor space at The Invisible Dog Art Center. It is curated by Claire Moeder.
The artist erects concrete walls and dividers on which appear mullahs, soldiers, and demonstrators resonating with the 2009 Iranian rebellion. Silently parading on these walls is a universe of miniature silhouetted figures representing dozens of faceless characters, pawns of her own making with which she replays the violent, surreal scenarios that the dictatorship and repression of the Green Movement has engendered.
This work tells of one’s anxiety before the darkness of political oppression and power games. Like the projection of history played out at a distance before us, Sarfaraz’ works take the form of relics, fragile fragments of recent conflicts in the Middle East and Iran. Gathering them, piece by piece, Wolves in the Wall accommodates the ever-incomplete story of our world.
“The story, one feels, like most true stories, is incomplete.”
Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil (1963)
This exhibition was made possible by the financial support of the Conseil des Arts du Canada, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Cultural Services of the Québec Government Office in New York.
Born in Shiraz, Iran, Sayeh Sarfaraz is a visual artist, currently based in Montréal. She has participated in group exhibitions in Berlin (2013), at Les Territoires in Montréal (2012) and at Flux Factory, New York (2011). Recent solo exhibitions of Sarfaraz’ work include Micropolitiques, Maison des arts de Laval (2014), Let’s play again?, Foreman Gallery, Sherbrooke (2014), Étrange dictature, MAI, Montréal (2013) and Mémoire d’éléphant, Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran, Montréal, Canada (2012). Her work is included in the collections of Giverny Capital, as well as several private collections.
Website: sayehsarfaraz.com
Claire Moeder is a Montreal-based curator, author and critic. Since 2010, she has reported on exhibitions (ratsdeville) and has also published several articles in magazines esse, Ciel Variable, Zone occupée, and Marges. She contributed to the catalogue for the 2009 Mois de la Photo à Montréal and to the first monograph dedicated to the work of Christian Marclay. As a young curator, she has participated in Christian Marclay’s solo exhibition in Rennes, France (2008). She had a residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Program (New York) in 2013 and organized the exhibition Sayeh Sarfaraz: Micropolitiques at Maison des arts de Laval (2014).
On View
September 13—November 25
Location
Main Space
51 Bergen St
Opening Reception
Saturday, September 13
6—10pm
Gallery Hours
Thursday—Saturday, 1—7pm
Sunday, 1—5pm