Aziz Art March2018
Marcos Grigorian
Alfred Basbous
Reza Khodadadi Competition
NOROOZ
1-Norooz 11-Competition 12-Reza Khodadadi 16-Alfred Basbous 21-Marcos Grigorian
Director: Aziz Anzabi Editor : Nafiseh Yaghoubi Translator : Asra Yaghoubi Research: Zohreh Nazari
http://www.aziz-anzabi.com
NOROOZ
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Norooz ( "New Day") is the name of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian and Kurdish New Year, is celebrated by Iranian peoples worldwide as the beginning of the new year. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East.It marks the first day of the month of Farvardin in the Iranian calendar.
people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians. Origin Nowruz is partly rooted in the religious tradition of Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism or even older in tradition of Mitraism because in Mitraism festivals had a Nowruz is the day of the deep linkage with the sun light. The astronomical vernal equinox (or Persian festivals of Yalda (longest northward equinox), which marks night) and Mehregan (autumnal the beginning of the spring in the equinox) and TiregÄ n (longest day) northern hemisphere and usually also had an origin in the Sun god occurs on March 21 or the (Surya). Among other ideas, previous/following day depending Zoroastrianism is the first on where it is observed. The monotheistic religion that moment the sun crosses the emphasizes broad concepts such as celestial equator and equalizes the corresponding work of good night and day is calculated exactly and evil in the world, and the every year and families gather connection of humans to nature. together to observe the rituals. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of Although having Persian and ancient Persia (modern day Iran & religious Zoroastrian origins, Western Afghanistan Nowruz has been celebrated by
Nowruz is believed to have been Ancient Iran. Due to its antiquity, invented by Zoroaster himself in there exist various foundation Balkh (modern-day Afghanistan), myths for Nowruz in Iranian although there is no clear date of mythology. In the Zoroastrian origin. Since the Achaemenid era tradition, the seven most important the official year has begun with the Zoroastrian festivals are the New Day when the Sun leaves the Gahambars and Nowruz, which zodiac of Pisces and enters the occurs at the spring equinox. zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the According to Mary Boyce, Spring Equinox. Nowruz is also a “It seems a reasonable surmise that holy day for Sufi Muslims, Nowruz, the holiest of them all, Bektashis, Ismailis, Alawites,Alevis, with deep doctrinal significance, Babis and adherents of the Bahá'í was founded by Zoroaster Faith. himself.Between sunset on the day The term Nowruz in writing first of the 6th Gahanbar and sunrise of appeared in historical Persian Nowruz, Hamaspathmaedaya (later records in the 2nd century CE, but known, in its extended form, as it was also an important day during Frawardinegan) was celebrated. the time of the Achaemenids (c. This and the Gahanbar are the only 550–330 BCE), where kings from festivals named in the surviving text different nations under the Persian of the Avesta. Empire used to bring gifts to the The Shahnameh dates Nowruz as Emperor, also called King of Kings far back to the reign of Jamshid, (Shahanshah), of Persia on Nowruz. who in Zoroastrian texts saved The significance of Nowruz in the mankind from a killer winter that Achaemenid Empire was such that was destined to kill every living the great Persian king creature. The mythical Persian King Cambyses II's appointment as the Jamshid (Yima or Yama of the Indoking of Babylon was legitimized Iranian lore) perhaps symbolizes only after his participation in the the transition of the Indo-Iranians New Year festival from animal hunting to animal History and tradition husbandry and a more settled life The celebration has its roots in in human history
In the Shahnameh and Iranian mythology, he is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. In the Shahnama, Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the earth into the heavens; there he sat on his throne like the sun shining in the sky. The world's creatures gathered in wonder about him and scattered jewels around him, and called this day the New Day or No/Now-Ruz. This was the first day of the month of Farvardin (the first month of the Persian calendar). The Persian scholar Abu Rayhan Biruni of the 10th century CE, in his Persian work "Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at alTanjim" provides a description of the calendar of various nations. Besides the Persian calendar, various festivals of Arabs, Jews, Sabians, Greeks and other nations are mentioned in this book. In the section on the Persian calendar , he mentions Nowruz, Sadeh, Tiregan, Mehregan, the six Gahanbar, Parvardegaan, Bahmanja, Isfandarmazh and several other festivals.
According to him: It is the belief of the Persians that Nowruz marks the first day when the universe started its motion.The Persian historian Abu Saʿīd Gardēzī in his work titled Zayn al-Akhbār under the section of the Zoroastrians festivals mentions Nowruz (among other festivals) and specifically points out that Zoroaster highly emphasized the celebration of Nowruz and Mehregan. History Nowruz in Persia Persepolis all nations staircase. Notice the people from across the Achaemenid Persian Empire bringing gifts. Some scholars have associated the occasion to be either Mehregan or Nowruz. Shah Tahmasp I and Humayun celebrating Nowvruz festival, 16th century, Isfahan, Persia Although it is not clear whether proto-Indo-Iranians celebrated a feast as the first day of the calendar, there are indications that both Iranians and Indians may have observed the beginning of both autumn and spring, related to the harvest and the sowing of seeds, respectively, for the celebration of new year.
Boyce and Grenet explain the Hall, traditions for seasonal festivals were built for the specific purpose and comment: "It is possible that of celebrating Nowruz. Although the splendor of the Babylonian there may be no mention of festivities at this season led the Nowruz in recorded Achaemenid Persians to develop their own inscriptions (see picture),there is a spring festival into an established detailed account by Xenophon of a new year feast, with the name Nowruz celebration taking place in Navasarda 'New Year' (a name Persepolis and the continuity of this which, though first attested festival in the Achaemenid through Middle Persian tradition.in 539 BC the Jews came derivatives, is attributed to the under Persian rule thus exposing Achaemenian period). Since the both groups to each other's communal observations of the customs. According to ancient Iranians appear in general EncyclopÌdia Britannica, the story to have been a seasonal ones, and of Purim as told in the Book of related to agriculture, it is Esther is adapted from a Persian probable, that they traditionally novella about the shrewdness of held festivals in both autumn and harem queens suggesting that spring, to mark the major turning Purim may be a transformation of points of the natural year". the Persian New Year. A specific We have reasons to believe that novella is not identified and the celebration is much older than EncyclopÌdia Britannica itself that date and was surely notes that "no Jewish texts of this celebrated by the people and genre from the Persian period are royalty during the Achaemenid extant, so these new elements can times (555–330 BC). It was, be recognized only inferentially". therefore, a highly auspicious The Encyclopaedia of Religion and occasion for the ancient Iranian Ethics notes that the Purim holiday peoples. It has been suggested is based on a lunar calendar while that the famous Persepolis Nowruz occurs at the spring complex, or at least the palace of equinox (solar calendar). Apadana and the Hundred Columns
The two holidays are therefore Sassanids established their power celebrated on different dates but in West Asia around 300 CE, within a few weeks of each other, Parthians celebrated Nowruz in depending on the year. Both Autumn and 1st of Farvardin began holidays are joyous celebrations. at the Autumn Equinox. During Given their temporal associations, Parthian dynasty the Spring Festival it is possible that the Jews and was Mehragan, a Zoroastrian and Persians of the time may have Iranian festival celebrated in honor shared or adopted similar customs of Mithra. for these holidays. The story of Extensive records on the Purim as told in the Book of Esther celebration of Nowruz appear has been dated anywhere from following the accession of Ardashir 625–465 BC (although the story I of Persia, the founder of the takes place with the Jews under Sassanid dynasty (224–651 CE). the rule of the Achaemenid Under the Sassanid Emperors, Empire and the Jews had come Nowruz was celebrated as the most under Persian rule in 539 BC), important day of the year. Most while Nowruz is thought to have royal traditions of Nowruz such as first been celebrated between royal audiences with the public, 555–330 BC. It remains unclear cash gifts, and the pardoning of which holiday was established prisoners, were established during first. the Sassanian era and persisted Nowruz was the holiday of unchanged until modern times. Arsacid/Parthian dynastic Empires Nowruz, along with Sadeh who ruled Iran (248 BC-224 CE) (celebrated in mid-winter), survived and the other areas ruled by the in society following the Arsacid dynasties outside Parthia introduction of Islam in 650 CE. (such as the Arsacid dynasty of Other celebrations such Gahanbar Armenia and Iberia). There are and Mehragan were eventually specific references to the side-lined or were only followed by celebration of Nowruz during the the Zoroastrians, who carried them. reign of Vologases I (51–78 CE), but It was adopted as the main royal these include no details.Before holiday during the Abbasid period.
In the book Nowruznama drink immortality from the Cup of ("Book of the New Year", which is Jamshid; and keep in solemn trust attributed to Omar Khayyam, the customs of our ancestors, their a well known Persian poet and noble aspirations, fair gestures and mathematician), the exercise of justice and a vivid description of the righteousness. May thy soul celebration in the courts of the flourish; may thy youth be as the Kings of Persia is provided: new-grown grain; may thy horse be “From the era of Kai Khusraw till puissant, victorious; thy sword the days of Yazdegard, last of the bright and deadly against foes; thy pre-Islamic kings of Persia, the hawk swift against its prey; thy royal custom was thus: on the every act straight as the arrow's first day of the New Year, shaft. Go forth from thy rich Now Ruz, the King's first visitor throne, conquer new lands. Honor was the High Mobad of the the craftsman and the sage in equal Zoroastrians, who brought with degree; disdain the acquisition of him as gifts a golden goblet full of wealth. May thy house prosper and wine, a ring, some gold coins, a thy life be long!" fistful of green sprigs of wheat, a Following the demise of the sword, and a bow. In the language Caliphate and the subsequent reof Persia he would then glorify God emergence of Persian dynasties and praise the monarch. This was such as the Samanids and Buyids, the address of the High Mobad to Nowruz was elevated to an even the king : "O Majesty, on this feast more important event. The Buyids of the Equinox, first day of the first revived the ancient traditions of month of the year, seeing that thou Sassanian times and restored many hast freely chosen God and the smaller celebrations that had been Faith of the Ancient ones; may eliminated by the Caliphate. Surush, the Angel-messenger, According to the Syrian historian grant thee wisdom and insight Yaqut al-Hamawi, the Iranian Buyid and sagacity in thy affairs. ruler ʿAżod-od-Dawla (r. 949-83) Live long in praise, be happy and customarily welcomed Nowruz in a fortunate upon thy golden throne, majestic hall,
wherein servants had placed gold and silver plates and vases full of fruit and colorful flowers.The King would sit on the royal throne (masnad), and the court astronomer came forward, kissed the ground, and congratulated him on the arrival of the New Year. The king would then summon musicians and singers, and invited his boon companions. They would gather in their assigned places and enjoy a great festive occasion. Even the Turkic and Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Nowruz in favor of any other celebration. Thus, Nowruz remained as the main celebration in the Persian lands by both the officials and the people.
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Reza Khodadadi
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Dr. Reza Khodadadi born Ardabil,lives and works in Tehran. Iranian contemporary artist, Academic, painter, sculptor, Urban artist & Muralist Ph.d in Art Reseauch and Professor of Art, was born in 1961, Ardabil, Iran. Faculty member of Tehran University of Art. Author of "Mural techniques" book. Author of eight books in the field of Public art and murals Entitled "Rules and Regulations Urban Beautification". Authored several articles and essays. Project study “ Murals of Tehran: musts and musts no
'Heyrani'(Perplexity) the viewers face an abstract work which allows them to make a literal 'Reading' of visual expression. The Perplexity series is Created with carefully drawn overlapping lines. These lines stand out in the background even though they are at times diluted, and their resemblance to straw and hay gives the painting the feel of a landscape. These landscapes seem distant from eastern landscapes yet during his creative process Khodadadi distances his work from these familiar scenes. The over-stacking and criss- crossing of lines confer on the painting a feeling of pattern. Straight lines begin to curl and give a feel of wind and dishevelment Painting that can be fathomed as Perplexity by Lines tantamount to perplexity or The Works of Reza Khodadadi bewilderment. The Contrasting present various of aspects of lines play an integral part in the assembling patterns and shapes aesthetics of this painting while the alongside each other in mixed colors are form the same group media. Continuity and colored (unless used for background material play an integral part in spacing). Line segments are the his art. His love for Rumi′s poetic simplest of visual ingredients yet narrative to his paintings. in series the artist,
Through detailed stacking and shading, has turned them into patterns.A sort of optical illusion is produced by this stacking that concentrates how they are viewed. This can clearly be seen in the works of Victor Vasarely (19061997) and Bridget Riley (b.1931) whose works stress the relationship of form and narrative. In fact Khodadadi endeavors to portray these accomplishments of modern painting on a few level in his work. The envisioning of either a waxing or waning process while looking at the Perplexity(Bewildered) series is an example of this artifice. The relief-type textures Khodadadi also adhere to the amassing of one form and its transformations. By changing integral aspects of shapes, patterns and patina he
creates diversity within the redundant rhythm of shapes. The painting of Khodadadi′s 'Perplexity' series focus on the flow of a landscape and its transformation to patterns and on how a chaotic atmosphere and immense and graduated space can be reproduced on canvas or vice versa.It is as if perspective appears and disappears through the brushing aside of the fields of straw. Simultaneously these are simply works of art with visual elements that under their own layers find connections to literary subjects.
Exhibitions Several solo exhibitions in :Golestan Gallery, Barg Gallery, Haft Samar Gallery, Mah Art Gallery,Hoor Art Gallery and Boom art Gallery.Participation in the collective exhibition of more than 140 domestic and foreign
Alfred Basbous
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Alfred Basbous Born in Rachana in1924, three years following the birth of his brother Michael, Alfred Basbous spent a peripatetic childhood: In a family that has constantly to move, according to the mission of the father, who was a parish priest. The Basbous family regularly returned to Rachana, their home village, their indelible mark.
at Alecco Saab gallery in 1958; this exhibition has shown a success and introduced him into the world of sculpture.
In 1960, he received a scholarship from the French government and became a pupil of the sculptor RenĂŠ Collamarini at "The National Fine Arts School in Paris" (L'Ecole As a child, Alfred Basbous was Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris). impressed by the feather reed In 1961, his works included the used by his father to illustrate the International Sculpture Exhibition Bible. Later, Michael proposed to at the MusĂŠe Rodin, in Paris. his teenage brother to help him polishing the stone sculptures Upon returning home, Alfred and working on the hardest Basbous noticed his career stone blocks. This was the exploding. He chose to settle in the first step towards sculpturing. village of Rachana that his brother was planning to rehabilitate. If one Alfred Basbous did not last long in draws its inspiration from the the company of British Railways modernism of Auguste Rodin, where he worked as a mason. By Henry Moore and Jean Arp, Alfred the late 1950s, he began carving became impregnated with the works in wood, metal and stone, nature of Lebanon and was he first started up reproducing passionate in the forms of the animals - poultry, rabbits, reptiles - human body, especially the and nude females. Encouraged by feminine curves. Michel, Alfred exhibited in Beirut,
The following years, he acquired an international reputation, and collaborated in international exhibitions: 1961 1961
- Superior National School Of Fine Arts, Paris. - Rodin Museum, Paris.
1971 -Halles Gallery, Paris. The three brothers displayed 101 sculptures. Open air exhibitions in Faubourg of Saint HonorĂŠ, Paris. 1974
1982
-Collamarini workshop at Rodin Museum in Paris. - Biennial of Alexandria, Egypt. - UENO Museum, royal museum in the city of Tokyo, Japan. -"Decoline" Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
1988 United States. 1993
-Kuwait Hilton International Hotel, Kuwait. -"Platform International" Gallery, Washington, -"Shroder & Asseili" Gardens, London, England.
1994 -The "Ashmoleum" museum in Oxford-England appropriated a sculpture of Alfred which is on permanent display. 1998
-Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Emirates Dubai Cultural Center, Emirates Oman Gallery, Oman.
Throughout his life, Alfred won many awards including the "Prix de l'Orient" in Beirut in 1963 and the price of Biennale in Alexandria in 1974.
In 1977, he got married to Marie Abi Saab with whom he has two children, Fadi and Zeina.
the Municipality of Rayfoun, the Port of Beirut, Jdeit el Metn, Tabarja Beach, "House of the Future", the Municipality of Several galleries in his native Antelias, the Municipality of Zouk country organized solo exhibitions Mkayel, gardens of Halate Sur Mer, of his works, which include: the Municipality of Tannourine.
"Salle du Quotidien l'Orient" (1962), Gallery One (1963), Excelsior Hotel (1965), Phoenicia Gallery (1966), Amateur Gallery (1967), gardens of the Modern institute in Fanar (1967), Excelsior Hotel (1970), Contact Gallery (1972), Damo Gallery (1979), Gallery One (1982), gardens of Halate Sur Mer (1984), ELCIR Gallery (1984), Rimal La Toile Gallery (1985), SNA Tabaris (1996), Surface Libre Gallery (2005).
The monumental works of Alfred Basbous are present in the public areas of Beirut and many Lebanese cities, acquired by municipalities and private projects, such as the Municipality of Zahle,
When his brother Michel passed away in 1981, Alfred Basbous collaborated with his younger brother Youssef to promote Rachana and cultivate the family heritage.
From 1994 to 2004, Alfred organized the International Symposium of Sculpture in Rachana, where famous sculptors from around the world were invited to create, sculpt and exhibit their works with those of Basbous, at the sight of tourists and art lovers. In 1994 he was awarded the "Medal of the National Order of Cedar, order of Knight" by the President of the Lebanese Republic.
In 1998, he founded and chaired the "International Sculpture Park of Rachana" which included 72 sculptures by artists who participated in the Symposium of Rachana. In 2004, the President of the Lebanese Republic decorated him with the "National Medal of the Order of the Cedar, Officer Order ."ط When he died in 2006, the President of the Lebanese Republic, in order to honor him, awarded him the "Medal of the Lebanese Order of Merit in Gold." The works of Alfred Basbous are part of the permanent family exhibition in Rachana, Lebanon, like those of Michael and Joseph Babous.
Marcos Grigorian
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Marcos Grigorian December 5, 1925 – August 27, 2007 was a notable IranianArmenian artist and a pioneer of Iranian modern art. Biography Grigorian was born in Kropotkin, Russia, to an Armenian family from Kars who had fled that city to escape massacres when it was captured by Turkey in 1920. In 1930 the family moved from Kropotkin to Iran, living first in Tabriz, and then in Tehran. After finishing pre-university education in Iran, in 1950 he studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome. Graduating from there in 1954, he returned to Iran, opened the Galerie EsthÊtique, an important commercial gallery in Tehran. In 1958, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, he organized the first Tehran Biennial. Grigorian was also an influential teacher at the Fine Arts Academy, where he disseminated his enthusiasm for local popular culture, including coffee-house paintings, a type of folk art named after the locations in which they were often displayed.
He lived in the 1960s in the United States first moving in 1962 to New York City, and then moved to Minneapolis to work at Minnetonka Center for the Arts. In Minneapolis he started Universal Galleries which became an influential center for Iranian art in Minneapolis, and it existed at the same time along with a quickly growing Modern Iranian art collection that could be found at artist Abby Weed Grey's home.Grey went on to later become an art dealer and gallerist and specialized in Modern Iranian art with her large collection and influencing many artists. In 1975 Grigorian helped organize the group of free painters and sculptors in Tehran and was one of its founder members. Artists Gholamhossein Nami, Massoud Arabshahi, Morteza Momayez, Mir Abdolrez Daryabeigi, and Faramarz Pilaram were amongst the other members of the group. As a modernist pop artist Marcos Grigorian turned to ordinary objects and popular ethnic forms and approaches.
He used ethnic food such as "Nan Sangak" and "Abghousht" to evoke authenticity in his work. Grigorian was a trend setter in experimenting with Earth Art, in Iran. Grigorian eventually moved to Yerevan, Armenia (which was then still a republic of the Soviet Union). In 1989, he traveled to Russia at the invitation of the Union of Russian Artists, visiting Moscow and Leningrad.
Some of his works are now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kerman, and the National Gallery of Armenia.
On 4 August 2007 Grigorian was assaulted and beaten about the head by two masked robbers who had broken into his Yerevan home. It was speculated that the robbers believed, erroneously, that there was a large sum of money in the He exhibited his clay and straw house, proceeds from the sale of works in Yerevan in 1991. He later Grigorian's summer residence in donated 5,000 of his artworks to Garni. After an anonymous phone the government of Armenia. In call to police, Grigorian was 1993 he founded the "Museum of discovered injured and taken to the Middle East" in Yerevan: 2,600 hospital. He died of a suspected exhibits are on display, heart attack on 27 August 2007, a with most of them coming from day after leaving the hospital his own collection.
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