Gelare Khoshgozaran's films explore dislocation and military echoes through dreamlike narratives
Iranian artist Gelare Khoshgozaran, based in Los Angeles, examines the impact of global conflicts through her films and installations. Her nine-minute piece, 'Men of My Dreams' (2020), showcases her wearing masks of notable figures such as Federico García Lorca and Edward Said, beginning with a drive through Los Angeles featuring armored vehicles and graffiti related to George Floyd and BLM. In her 30-minute film 'Medina Wasl: Connecting Town' (2018), she portrays a military training site mimicking Middle Eastern settings. Khoshgozaran's exhibition 'Likely Mine' at Visitor Welcome Center included works like 'Compositions for X-Ray Machine' (2020) and 'Reading the News to Waco' (2020). Last year, her work was featured in the 'Queer Correspondence' series at Cell Project Space from June to December.
Key facts
- Gelare Khoshgozaran is an Iranian artist and writer based in Los Angeles
- Her film 'Men of My Dreams' (2020) features masks of Federico García Lorca, Farhad Mehrad, and Edward Said
- The work shows Los Angeles streets with 'ACAB', 'BLM', and 'George Floyd' graffiti
- 'Medina Wasl: Connecting Town' (2018) documents a California military training facility simulating Middle Eastern environments
- Her exhibition 'Likely Mine' was at Visitor Welcome Center in Los Angeles last year
- Cell Project Space in London distributed her work through their 'Queer Correspondence' postal series June-December last year
- Khoshgozaran references writer Fatimah Tobing Rony's concept of 'fascinating cannibalism'
- Her work quotes Pier Paolo Pasolini's 'The Decameron' (1971) about the beauty of dreaming rather than completing work
Entities
Artists
- Gelare Khoshgozaran
- Federico García Lorca
- Farhad Mehrad
- Edward Said
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Trinh T. Minh-ha
- Ana Vaz
- Rehana Zaman
- Fatimah Tobing Rony
Institutions
- Cell Project Space
- Visitor Welcome Center
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- California
- Iran
- London
- United Kingdom
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Persian Gulf
- West Coast
- Southern California
- Southwest Asia
- Shatt al-Arab river