A Colossal Conversation: Arghavan Khosravi On Tension, Circumventing Censorship, and the Protest of Iranian Women

“The White Feather” (2023), acrylic on canvas over shaped wood panels, wood cutouts, plexiglass, metal nails, chainmail, feather, 82 x 50 x 16 inches. All images © Arghavan Khosravi, shared with permission

For Arghavan Khosravi, obscurity is the point. In a new conversation with Colossal, the Iranian artist recounts how she translates the experience of living a dual life—that of immigrating, of presenting differently when at school and at home, and of wanting to deny clear interpretations—into disjointed works that are equally alluring and destabilizing. She says:

I’m interested in this idea of contradiction in general, not just in how the paintings look. When I have imagery coming from different contexts—like historic, contemporary, Western, Eastern—this creates tension, which is like a visual translation of the tension Iranian people feel living in Iran. Most Iranians don’t believe how the governing system is thinking and believing, so there is always this clash between tradition, religion, and then modernity and secular ideas.

Khosravi discusses using a simple visual alphabet to convey complex narratives, feeling inextricably tethered to her home in Iran, and why she needs to paint every day to cope with injustice and heal from trauma.

Read the conversation.

 

“The Orange Curtain” (2022), acrylic on canvas over shaped wood panel on wood panel, 64 1/2 x 49 inches

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The 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year Contest Highlights the Stunning Sights Above and Below the Surface

Jack Pokoj, a lizardfish’s open mouth reveals its last meal, Philippines. All images courtesy of Ocean Photographer of the Year, shared with permission

The waters surrounding the Philippines were fruitful for photographers this year, producing several winning images of the 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest. From a boastful lizardfish to a tiny paper nautilus floating among volcanic debris, the lauded shots document marine life above and below the surface, glimpsing not only the stunning beauty of land and sea creatures but also the threats many face given a warming planet and rampant pollution. Some of our favorite photos are shown here, and if you’re in Sydney, you can see the full collection through May 26, 2024, at the National Maritime Museum.

 

Jialing Cai, a Paper Nautilus drifts on a piece of ocean debris at night, surrounded by heavy sediment, Philippines

Michael Haluwana, illuminated by the Arctic sun, a polar bear walks across a glacier that is adorned by a waterfall, Arctic

Andrei Savin, a crab sits in the centre of a sea anemone as it sways in ocean current, Philippines

Craig Parry, a gentoo penguin, the fastest penguin species in the world, charges across the water, Antarctica

Sylvie Ayer, a manatee enjoys the crystal-clear waters of the Homosassa River, Florida

Renee Cappozzola, a female paper nautilus with egg case rides a small jellyfish, taken on a blackwater dive, Anilao, Philippines

Florian Ledoux, a polar bear cub contends with the fragility of melting ice, Svalbard, Norway

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year Contest Highlights the Stunning Sights Above and Below the Surface appeared first on Colossal.

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Hera’s Imaginative New Murals Question the Animal Impulse to Migrate

“We all are Birds of Migration. Some With Feathers, Some Without” (2023). All photos by Brian Tallman, shared with permission

A mouse-costumed girl sitting on a duffel bag, a bird balancing on a unicycle, and bright blue narwhals swimming along the train line in Stavanger, Norway, are a few characters in Hera’s new murals considering the nuances of immigration and movement. “We all are Birds of Migration. Some With Feathers, Some Without” is a collection of works that ask viewers to recognize that mobility and resettling have been essential to human survival for millennia. The artist (previously) says:

We all exist today because our ancestors at some point either freely migrated to greener pastures, more fertile grounds, greater resources, and safer living conditions, or were forcibly moved from one place to another at some point at some point in history. Not even the most nationalist nationalist can deny the factual reality: humans still exist today because they migrated, they moved themselves, their families, their genes across lands, seas, continents.

Commissioned by Nuart—check out the 2023 edition of its annual festival in Aberdeen—the gestural murals are part of the Planes, Trains & Automobiles project bringing public artworks to high-visibility spots like airports and transit centers. The location also dovetails with Hera’s interest in migration, particularly as it relates to daily commutes. She says, “Some could argue that this does not count as an act of migration. But doesn’t it? Do students not leave their home, travel for miles and miles, to make more of themselves? Do commuters not leave their homes and families in order to make a living, and provide for their existence?”

The figures feature Hera’s signature wide, glassy eyes and costumes that transform them into scavenger-like creatures. Imbued with a sense of resilience, the characters emphasize the innate, animal impulse to travel and migrate that proliferates throughout the natural world.

See some of the works take shape on the artist’s Instagram.

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Hera’s Imaginative New Murals Question the Animal Impulse to Migrate appeared first on Colossal.

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Lone Splendor: A Group Show Revels in the Wonder and Unknown of the Night Sky

Danielle Clough. All images courtesy of Paradigm Gallery + Studio, shared with permission

What lies beyond the stars we see when we look up at the night sky? A group exhibition opening next week at Paradigm Gallery + Studio brings together the works of 18 artists who each capture the wonder of the unknown.

Curated by Colossal’s founder and publisher Christopher Jobson, Lone Splendor draws its name from John Keats’ poem “Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art” and conjures our enduring fascination with the cosmos and imagined worlds. The exhibition features works in a variety of mediums and styles, including the dense, thread portraits of Danielle Clough, Hari & Deepti’s illuminated sculptures, and Lorraine Loots’ tiny recreation of the enormous Pillars of Creation.

Lone Splendor will be on view through January 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. Join us on December 1 for an opening reception, and get a sneak peek of the available works on Paradigm.

 

Lorraine Loots

Duy Huynh

Eli McMullen

Graham Franciose

Jeremy Miranda

Andrew McIntosh

Allison May Kiphuth

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Lone Splendor: A Group Show Revels in the Wonder and Unknown of the Night Sky appeared first on Colossal.

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JR’s Dramatic Cave Intervention Emerges from the Center of the Palais Garnier in Paris

“Retour à la Caverne – Acte I” (2023), Palais Garnier, Opéra de Paris. All images courtesy of Opéra de Paris

“Our role as artists is always to search for the light,” says French artist JR (previously) about the second act of his Retour à la Caverne project. “We know this much: You don’t chase away the darkness with more darkness. You chase it away with light, however tiny.”

The work he’s referring to, though, is far from tiny. Cloaking Paris’s Palais Garnier while the building is under construction, Retour à la Caverne is an enormous trompe l’oeil facade, the first part of which depicts a cave carved into the grand structure that houses the opera. Illuminated at the center, the temporary piece highlights the physical and metaphorical interactions between light and dark. Broken into two acts like an opera libretto, the work references Plato’s allegory that emerging from the depths of the cave, and from darkness, brings knowledge.

“Act I” debuted earlier this fall with four nights of projected works, while the second part was held on November 12. “Back in September, we invited you to step out of the cave to go and explore. This time, we’re inviting you back inside the cave,” JR said while introducing the work. Whereas “Act I” portrays the cavern gouged into the center of the building, “Act II” switches perspectives, placing the viewers entirely inside the space.

Titled “Chiroptera,” the performance featured choreography by Damien Jalet and music by Thomas Bangalter. More than 150 dancers appeared through an elevated seven-story scaffolding after an eerie introduction by ballerina Amandine Albisson, who appeared to open the cave, causing a plummet into darkness. As with many of JR’s works, the artist asked the crowd to participate by using headlamps and their phones to illuminate the remainder of the performance, revealing the ways light can emerge from collective action.

Watch the full performance below, and find more from JR on Instagram.

 

“Retour à la Caverne – Acte II” (2023), Palais Garnier, Opéra de Paris

“Retour à la Caverne – Acte II” (2023), Palais Garnier, Opéra de Paris

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article JR’s Dramatic Cave Intervention Emerges from the Center of the Palais Garnier in Paris appeared first on Colossal.

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Surreal Anatomies and Architectural Motifs Emerge from Elegant Sculptural Candles

Aline Asmar d’Amman, “Aspiration.” All images by Carl Halal, © House of Today

Ten Lebanese designers have collaborated with artisans from the Beit Chabab Hospital Workshop to create a unique, limited-edition collection of sculptural candles. The initiative of the nonprofit House of Today, The Candle Project features ten carved, wax works in varying colors and styles, ranging from Aline Asmar d’Amman’s architectural “Aspiration” with winding staircases to LimbObject’s surreal entanglement of hands and arms. Each piece is available from House of Today, with proceeds benefiting the hospital and the nonprofit’s mentorship program. (via designboom)

 

Richard Yasmine, “Sinking sun for another one”

Flavie Audi, “Nothing is forever”

Nada Debs, “Spiritual sphere”

Carla Baz, “Chrysalis”

Left: Sayar & Garibeh, “Flaws.” Right: 200 Grs, “Blrrrrr”

LimbObject, “I am here”

Tamara Barrage, “Silhouettes”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Surreal Anatomies and Architectural Motifs Emerge from Elegant Sculptural Candles appeared first on Colossal.

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Moss, Pine Bark, and Roots Camouflage Tiny Refuges Among the Wild Swedish Forests and Farmland

“Moss Hut.” All images © Ulf Mejergren, shared with permission

Artist and architect Ulf Mejergren (previously) continues his interest in cozy, outdoor constructions with a new series titled Farm Art. Collaborating with farmer Robert Pettersson, Mejergren built several site-specific structures from materials found around Pettersson’s property in Grödinge, Sweden.

For “Pine Bark Hut,” the pair layered thick, gnarly wood into a slender cabin camouflaged between two trees, a space first used for hunting and then storing tools. Similarly, “Root Hut” entwines gathered branches with the existing roots to create a small, sand pit enclosure nestled beneath the forest, while the circular “Moss Hut” stands 4.5 meters tall among the trees. The latter work “stems from the farmers’ hunting interest,” Mejergren writes. “For many years, he has put food at certain points in the forests so wild boars come to feed there. The problem is they are like bulldozers in the forests, looking for insects and roots in the soil, so they have dug up moss from the forest floor and left them scattered in big droves.” Cloaked in the remaining lichen, the structure is a disguised refuge among the wild landscape.

Other works in Farm Art are more aesthetically driven, like the vivid “Sunset.” Made of dandelion heads at full bloom, the spherical form appears to glow in a field of weeds and wildflowers. Find the full series on Mejergren’s site and Instagram.

 

“Pine Bark Hut”

“Sunset”

Detail of “Moss Hut”

“Sunset”

“Root Hut”

“Hay House”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Moss, Pine Bark, and Roots Camouflage Tiny Refuges Among the Wild Swedish Forests and Farmland appeared first on Colossal.

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