Siah Armajani, Conceptual Artist Known for Public Sculptures, Dies at 81
On August 27, 2020, Siavash (Siah) Armajani, an Iranian-born conceptual artist celebrated for his socially conscious public sculptures, passed away due to complications from heart disease. He was born in Tehran in 1939 and emigrated in 1960 amid political unrest. Armajani studied at Macalester College in Minnesota and gained prominence when the Walker Art Center acquired his work in 1962. Throughout his career, he presented over fifty solo exhibitions and his pieces are included in significant collections, such as MAMCO in Geneva. His first U.S. retrospective debuted at the Walker Art Center in September 2018. Armajani's artistic exploration of erasure and architecture resulted in more than 70 public commissions. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Bauer Armajani.
Key facts
- Siah Armajani died on August 27, 2020 from heart disease complications at age 81.
- He was born in 1939 in Tehran, Iran, and forced to emigrate in 1960 due to political activism.
- His first U.S. retrospective opened at the Walker Art Center in September 2018 and traveled to the Met Breuer in February 2019.
- Armajani created over 70 life-size public sculptures commissioned across Europe and the United States.
- His early work Paria #1 (1957) used pages from Iranian poet Ahmed Shamlu's poem, exploring erasure and trace.
- He collaborated on the World Financial Center Plaza at Battery Park City with architect César Pelli and artist Scott Burton in the mid-1980s.
- Armajani's "Manifesto: Public Sculpture in the Context of American Democracy" was compiled from 1968 to 1978 and revised in 1993.
- A significant number of his works are in the collection of Musée d’art moderne et contemporain (MAMCO) in Geneva.
Entities
Artists
- Siavash (Siah) Armajani
- Ahmed Shamlu
- John Cage
- César Pelli
- Scott Burton
- Nicole Eisenman
- Mirza Kuchuk Khan
- Gustav Klutsis
- Clare Davies
Institutions
- Walker Art Center
- Macalester College
- University of Tehran
- Musée d’art moderne et contemporain (MAMCO)
- Met Breuer
- MoCA Chicago
- MoMA
- Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.)
- Public Art Fund
- Artforum
- National Front
- Tudeh Party
- Persian Socialist Soviet Republic
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Tehran
- Iran
- St. Paul
- Minneapolis
- United States
- Europe
- Geneva
- Switzerland
- New York
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Battery Park City
- Monticello
- Gilan
- U.S.
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —