CUE Art Opens Group Exhibition Exploring Caucasus Marriage Rituals Through Queer Lens

CUE Art Foundation presents 'The Bride Has Gone to Pick Flowers,' a group exhibition curated by Lila Nazemian, featuring works by Levon Kafafian, Fatemeh Kazemi, and Levani. The show is part of CUE's open call for curatorial projects, with Nazemian mentored by curator Martha Joseph. On view at 137 West 25th St. until May 10, 2025, the exhibition uses installation, sculpture, assemblage, textile, sound, and performance to reimagine marriage rituals from the Caucasus region through a speculative and queer perspective. The title references a Persian phrase from Iranian wedding ceremonies, where the bride's playful demurral is met with lighthearted excuses before consent. Kafafian's 'Mirror of Fate' centers on the Armenian holiday hampartsum and the serpentine spirit Anarad, featuring an altar with hand-dyed silk panels and a soundscape by Lara Sarkissian. Kazemi's 'Yalan Dünya' draws from the ritual of rubbing sugar cubes over newlyweds, with works like 'Saqi' exploring celebration and mourning through her alter ego, the cupbearer. Levani's 'the altar' merges ancient Georgian and Sumerian mythology, incorporating projected sun footage, androgynous totems, a stone basin by Papuna Dabrundashvili, and protest sounds from Tbilisi by Marika Kochiashvili. The exhibition transforms the gallery into a sanctuary for contemplating identity, tradition, and community.