Figure–Ground exhibition at Ab-Anbar explores spectral traces in human-landscape interactions
The group exhibition Figure–Ground is currently on display at the Ab-Anbar gallery in Tehran, co-curated by Azadeh Zaferani and Zeynep Koksal, and will be open until 28 June. This exhibition delves into the impact of human figures on landscapes. Among the featured works, Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari presents a painting of a lemon tree alongside a 2011 photograph of bodybuilders. Palestinian artist Omar Mismar shares a 2014 image capturing the aftermath of an Israeli bombing in Gaza, along with a video collage depicting young men amidst the ruins. Iranian artist Babak Kazemi showcases Khorramshahr, number by number (2005). Additional contributors include Sherko Abbas, Pio Abad, Jananne Al-Ani, Saba Khan, Y Z Kami, and Dima Srouji, addressing themes of corporeality, memory, and destruction within contexts of violence.
Key facts
- Exhibition Figure–Ground runs until 28 June at Ab-Anbar gallery
- Co-curated by Zeynep Koksal and Azadeh Zaferani
- Features works by Akram Zaatari, Omar Mismar, Babak Kazemi, Sherko Abbas, Pio Abad, Jananne Al-Ani, Saba Khan, Y Z Kami, and Dima Srouji
- Omar Mismar's I Will Not Find This Image Beautiful uses a 2014 Gaza bombing image with victims' names in code
- Dima Srouji's A Crack in the Water Followed by Return (2024) combines Nakba footage with dam breaking film
- Babak Kazemi's Khorramshahr, number by number (2005) uses house number plates from Iran-Iraq war ruins
- Gallery ground floor is darkened with curtains obscuring street view
- Exhibition explores human traces in landscapes through spectral forms and ghostly presences
Entities
Artists
- Akram Zaatari
- Omar Mismar
- Babak Kazemi
- Sherko Abbas
- Pio Abad
- Jananne Al-Ani
- Saba Khan
- Y Z Kami
- Dima Srouji
- Mahmoud El Dimassy
- Fadl Kobeissy
Institutions
- Ab-Anbar
- Canvas
Locations
- Tehran
- Iran
- Gaza
- Lebanon
- Palestine
- Khorramshahr
- Saida
- Kurdish villages