Club 29: Curator by Elham Puriya Mehr
Artists: Kelly Lycan, Derya Akay, Vedad FamourZadeh
Sohrab Kashani, Natalie Purschwitz, Reza Haeri
Thrusday May 24, 2018 – Sunday June 24, 2018
Ag Galerie is pleased to announce Ag Experiment’s first project titled Club 29 held at our new location in Tehran’s city center.
Club 29 is a temporary platform that seeks to reconsider notions of exhibition space. The first part of this research project has been accomplished through a collaboration between Canadian and Iranian artists, and provides different experiences for viewers and participants throughout the course of the exhibition. Club 29 consists of an installation and discursive, performative programs.
Club 29 reviews the collected narratives and archives of Rasht 29 Club (1967-1970, Tehran), which was the first non-profit art space in Iran founded by architect Kamran Diba, artist Parviz Tanavoli and musician Roxana Saba. The main concept for the club was to create a space for artists from various fields to gather, eat, drink, study and exchange ideas around art and culture. This unique space held a permanent exhibition of works by artists who frequented the club and organized programs such as poetry readings, musical performances, theatrical rehearsals and even artist studios. The first art auction in Iran was also held at this club.
Club 29’s installation and performances include: Approximation, Rasht 29 (Kelly Lycan); Rasht 29 History (Elham Puriya Mehr); Curtain Lecture (Elham Puriya Mehr); Baby Odyssey (Natalie Purschwitz); Portal (Natalie Purschwitz); Intermezzos in Memory of Zaven Hacopian (Vedad Famour Zadeh); Finger and Food and Flowers (Derya Akay); Lifting Workshop with Super Sohrab (Sohrab Kashani) and Pass and Pause: Iranian Architecture Revisited (Reza Haeri). In addition, readings of interviews, screenings of silent videos, poetry and 60s magazine readings as well as workshops will be conducted. Program concept and installation by Kelly Lycan.
Club 29 has been made possible through the main support of Ag Galerie (Iran) in collaboration with KAAF Non-Profit Art Institute (Iran) and to elaborate: discenter for curatorial projects (Canada).