Jörg Ahrnt 'Untitled', Ink on paper
Tom Felber for ceative face Magazine
Exhibitions with Iranian artists are not very often found in Germany. But with THR-FRA/FRA-THR art lovers find an exhibition in Frankfurt (Main) at present that features three Iranian artists (Iman Afsarian, Vahid Hakim and Elahe Heidari) together with the artist Michael Hakimi who lives and works in Berlin and the artist Jörg Ahrnt, who lives and works in Frankfurt. Jörg Ahrnt is also the curator of THR-FRA/FRA-THR, which takes place at two locations in Frankfurt. At „Galerie station" at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm visitors find oil-paintings by Iman Afsarian, acrylic-paintings by Vahid Hakim and ink-drawings by Elahe Heidari and Jörg Ahrnt. Galerie wildwechsel presents works by Michael Hakimi. For creative face Magazine the curator Jörg Ahrnt answered Tom Felber's questions.
creative face Magazine: The exhibition THR-FRA/FRA-THR shows works by three artists who live and work in Iran and two who live and work in Germany. Is that the reason for the exhibition's title?
Jörg Ahrnt: For thousands of years Persia had been insulated by the Zagros- and Elburz-mountains from European travellers. In our times every day airplanes carry hundreds of passengers and goods from Frankfurt to Teheran and vice versa. Frankfurt airport is not only for Germany a hub. Therefore for Iranians from Teheran and for Germans from Frankfurt THR-FRA/FRA-THR has both a real and a metaphorical meaning; it symbolizes the technical fact that changes both societies. Nevertheless there are two viewing directions depending on the viewer's country.
creative face Magazine: The exhibition takes place at two locations in Frankfurt, „Galerie station" at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and Galerie wildwechsel. Why?
Jörg Ahrnt: The works by Elahe Heidari, Iman Afsarian and Vahid Hakim reflect a European or better a European cultural influence on their works. This leads to a visible relation with the occidental art history. These relations are much more complex than we are aware of; very often we interpret these obvious relations in the way that they are resulting from copying "occidental originals". The best way to understand the development of the works by the influence of an occidental artistic canon is to contemplate the works. The works by Elahe Heidari, Iman Afsarian and Vahid Hakim are showcased in „Galerie Station" at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm together with my works. Since 2005 my drawings refer to a coloured drawing that probably can be traced back to the 14th century and is named "river-landscape". This drawing remains a mystery since decades even for Orientalists since it seems to be influenced by Persian art and Chinese art at the same time. You will find both viewing direction in the exhibition.
Michael Hakimi's work „Museum für Islamische Kunst, Raum 1-5" creates new pieces of art by transforming information signs showing orient-maps, which shall inform visitors of the „Museum für Islamische Kunst" ("Museum for Islamic Art") in Berlin about the origin of exhibition works, into 5 wall-objects. These new works question the pretended impartial allocation of art works to a certain geographical region. To get the exhibition's point visitors have to keep the origin of the signs in mind, therefore a solo-presentation was important. Hanging the 5 objects inverted enlarges the distance to the logic of the pretended impartial allocation.
creative face Magazine: Which relation do the 5 artists have?
Jörg Ahrnt: Ideological symbols like the Tschador or the Fatimahand do not come to the fore. More important is to process complex cultural correlations in an individual and artistic manner.
creative face Magazine: What's the exhibition's quintessence - may be a political or social critical one?
Jörg Ahrnt: The exhibition THR-FRA/FRA-THR does not has an explicit quintessence. To claim an absolute quintessence very often causes escalating conflicts as we saw in the past. Nevertheless, since the works we exhibit differ from existing cultural stereotypes in a significant way they have a challenging and political potential. But they are no "political art".
creative face Magazine: Does an independent art scene in Iran exist? Are exhibitions abroad without problems possible for Iranian artists? How difficult was it to curate the exhibition?
Jörg Ahrnt: Some answers regarding these questions you will find within the exhibition. To curate the exhibition was not too difficult since the exhibition does not represent the generation of a complete artistic movement or even more the Iranian Art. Therefore I'm very confident to see further exhibitions with artists from Iran in Germany in the future. The desire to curate the present exhibition came up when I saw pieces of artwork in Iran that I liked to be showcased also in Germany since the dual cultural perspective is already inherent in these works.
creative face Magazine: Are there any plans to show the exhibition also in Iran?
Jörg Ahrnt: It was important for the exhibition to observe the artworks' transfer and to get some insights in the change of meanings which is related to the transfer. From this artistic point of view the project should be realized in Iran too. We will see whether that is possible since for a long time even the realization in Germany was at risk.
creative face Magazine: Thank you very much Jörg.
