Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian
Monir Farmanfarmaian 2004–2013
March 18–April 19, 2013
The Third Line
Al Quoz 3, Dubai, UAE
T +9714 3411 367
www.thethirdline.com
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The Third Line is proud to present a survey exhibition of Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian that reflects upon the past decade of her remarkable artistic journey. Showcasing works from 2004 until now—including those being displayed for the first time—the exhibition highlights Monir’s stellar career as a pioneer in contemporary Iranian art.
Mapping a chronological trajectory through the different series of works that Monir completed over the past nine years, the exhibition follows the evolution of her signature style aineh-kari mirror mosaics and her investigation into divine cosmology. The principal theme in her art practice of correlating mysticism with numerology, Islamic geometry and architecture remains a quintessential feature within this exhibit.
Through wall-based panels and free-standing works, Monir presents a masterful balance of meticulous craft and contemporary abstraction that utilizes an interaction of surface texture, light and reflection, colour and form. She also delves into media such as drawings in felt marker and pen and ink, layering works of coloured lines to trace structures of nomadic tents, minarets and models of architectural sculptures. Employing techniques from her Iranian heritage that date back to the sixteenth century, Monir chooses to return to the origins of abstraction and theology, and moves beyond the craft to present a modern interpretation of both the medium and the content.
Monir strives for perfection in her intricate drawings and kaleidoscopic mirror mosaics, which is highlighted in her impressive career that spans over 60 years. From early beginnings in Iran, and a later period in New York, where she was a contemporary of Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Frank Stella, Monir began to tie the two dichotomies of her influences—arriving at modern abstraction in form through the use of Islamic geometry found in Iranian architecture. The resulting work has been an unconventional marriage between the deeply traditional and the genuinely avant-garde, placing her in a league of her own.
About Monir Farmanfarmaian
Monir (b. 1924, Iran) has exhibited extensively in Iran, U.S.A, Europe, and the Middle East, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Leighton House Museum, London; Haus der Kunst, Munich; 29th Bienal de Sao Paulo; The Third Line, Dubai; and the Venice Biennale (1958, 1964, 1966 and 2009). Monir’s major commissioned installations include work for the Queensland Art Museum, Australia (2009), the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Jameel Collection (2006), the Dag Hammerskjöd building, New York (1981) and the Niyavaran Cultural Center (1977–78), as well as acquisitions by the Metropolitan Museum, New York; The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and most recently the Guggenheim Museum, New York. More recently, The Third Line and Damiani co-published Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian – Cosmic Geometry (2011), an in-depth book edited by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Karen Marta, surveying Monir’s work extensively. She is also a participating artist in Sharjah Biennial 11. Monir currently lives and works in Tehran, Iran.
About The Third Line
The Third Line is a Dubai-based art gallery that represents contemporary Middle Eastern artists locally, regionally and internationally. In addition to ongoing exhibitions, The Third Line hosts non-profit, alternative programs to increase interest and debate in the region.
The Third Line also publishes books by associated artists from the region. Books published to date include Presence by photographer Lamya Gargash (2008), In Absentia by Tarek Al-Ghoussein (2009), Cosmic Geometry (2011), and most recently the self-titled treatise Huda Lutfi about the artist’s Cairo-based practice.
Represented artists include Abbas Akhavan, Ala Ebtekar, Amir H. Fallah, Arwa Abouon, Babak Golkar, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Farhad Moshiri, Fouad Elkoury, Golnaz Fathi, Hassan Hajjaj, Hayv Kahraman, Huda Lutfi, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Lamya Gargash, Laleh Khorramian, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Pouran Jinchi, Rana Begum, Sahand Hesamiyan, Sherin Guirguis, Shirin Aliabadi, Slavs and Tatars, Sophia Al-Maria, Tarek Al-Ghoussein and Youssef Nabil.
Media Contact
Saira Ansari, PR & Media Coordinator
saira [at] thethirdline.com / T +9714 3411 367
