PublicationNotes #13

When I first traveled to Iran in February 2019, I knew little about the Iranian art scene or classical Persian literature. I stayed at the Ferdowsi International Grand Hotel, a captivating relic of the late Pahlavi era, blending vibrant, colorful modernity with camp neo-baroque references to Iran’s heroic past. It was there that I first read Shahnameh, taking breaks to wander through the quiet hotel halls and empty conference centers adorned with monumental reliefs paying tribute to the Book of Kings. Meanwhile, outside, a different world was unfolding, as hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Tehran, with police and security forces on high alert amid the tense atmosphere of the fortieth anniversary of the 1979 Revolution.

Today, ongoing tensions in Iran are part of the broader dangers facing the Middle East, where, since October 2023, escalating violence has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced millions in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond. In times of crisis, art and literature become essential tools for reconciliation. Artists, writers, researchers, and architects, whether in exile or in their homelands, navigate complex identities and resist being silenced. In Iran, Syria, and Palestine, as in many countries exposed to conflicts, art and literature play a crucial role in fostering understanding, bridging divides, and helping process the emotional toll of conflict. Just as Paul Ricoeur’s concept of “emplotment” gives meaning to chaotic events, the Persian idea of sokhan (سخن), meaning “speech” or “discourse,” emphasizes the power of language to express collective grief and resilience. mohit.art NOTES #13, guest edited by the philosopher of art Masoud Olia, casts an aesthetic light on some aspects of the idea of reconciliation.

In her essay “Sokhan as a Poetic World in Shahnameh”, Neda Ghiasi, a researcher in philosophy of art, explores Iran’s most significant national epic, Shahnameh (Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi, not simply as a factual-historical or alternatively a fictional narrative, but as a work that transcends these categories. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics and narratology, Ghiasi argues that Shahnameh is not merely a record of events but a “sokhan” (speech/narrative) that merges history and fiction through poetic configuration. In this reading, the simple dichotomy of “history” and “fiction” is transcended and reconciled at a narrative and metaphorical level. Ghiasi shows that the poetic configuration of the text allows for a refiguration of reality, inviting readers to engage with the past in a complex, meaningful way that enriches their understanding of history and human experience.

Similarly, in her text with collages “The Ayvān as the Scene of Encountering the Other”, Negar Saboori, an architect and art researcher, reflects on the ayvān, a key feature of Iranian architecture, as a liminal space between private and public life. Saboori explains how the ayvān, historically a balcony-like site of openness and connection, evolved over the centuries before becoming marginalized after the 1979 revolution, as public spaces became less safe and appealing. She advocates for the revival of the ayvān in contemporary urban life as a space that fosters community and intimacy, inviting a reconsideration of its role in the imagination of love and social interaction.

Founded in 2021, mohit.art is a transnational network supporting the contemporary visual arts across Iran, Germany, Europe, and Southwest Asia. mohit.art’s mission is to foster cultural dialogue and cooperation and to empower artists to use their work as a tool for healing and unity. In regions where artists are often excluded from global networks, mohit.art advocates for greater visibility and exchange, ensuring that their art contributes to peace and understanding.

We wish all our readers and followers moments of joy and reflection as they engage with NOTES #13, especially in these difficult times.

Managing editor: Helia Darabi