Curator: Samaneh Ahmadi

Agoraphobia

The presence of women in society has been one of the main social challenges throughout our history. Bitterness has accompanied every accomplishment of this exasperating struggle. At times it seems that on the steep slopes of contemporary history, the presence of forces to exclude women from achieving their full potential in society has made the process to equality a never-ending task.
Alongside the existing turbulence and opposition to this equality of women's presence in society, various crisis come about that effect all of society and in the long term scars every member of society. One of the most bitter recent crisis that our society has experienced has been the throwing of acid in women's faces in our city streets last fall. These horrendous acts of unnecessary violence permanently scarred the soul and body of 15 human beings. Other than the victims themselves, everyone was in some way damaged, and in general, a feeling of shame, disgust and fear permeated throughout every level of society.
The artists in this exhibition as representatives of this society attempt to convert these damaged voices into art, and have chosen metaphor and motifs as their media, and through concise language remonstrate and challenge this hate-mongering.
These works of art are a human reaction to animalistic violence and behavior, and take a stand against such intrinsic ugliness.