Worked with Aria Photographic studio through the morning to produce some large prints that I have been working on in Tehran. there is a substantial amount of support for photographers in Iran. there are four magazines in print for photographic art, as well as numerous online journals. as well as photo Biennial.  the master printer at Aria was very good!
heard a Christmas carol in Persian while I was working! 'tidings of comfort and joy'

 

Driving back from Samira's studio in North Tehran, the Taxi driver spoke Persian or French, so we had a great conversation in french. he grew up in Paris in the 80's and returned to Iran at the age of 21.

Samira's invited me to meet with a number of artists, to share work.  it was a long afternoon, with many reflections on teaching art in Iran and the way the Iranian /American artists work in the diaspora.

'My name is not a Muslim name, it is Persian'

there is a hair and make-up session and photo-shoot  in the flat today, which has continued for several hours.  the make-up artist, who has prepared the bride, worked on the bride-to-be for about 4 hours, making a very delicate chignon which looked fantastic with the satin, white gown.
I cooked some omelette and garlic mushrooms.

These are all the variety of  framed, woven carpets that can be bought in the Bazaar, but also in other shops across the city.  there is something for every taste.

Met with Ahmed Nadalian, the artist who has set up a residency program fro environmental art works.
"Who makes the border?
Do we make the border or
Does the border make us"

the idea to document very ordinary, everyday public activity.  it is somehow a relief to see this sort of everyday like that people lead.   Went to Bazaar-e-buzurg with artist Samiran and her friend.

 

Dinner with Rybon  members, Tooraj, Nagin, Hamid, Arvin andSara,  in an area called Darake, North Tehran. the restaurants are located next to a gushing river, and the temperature is much cooler. in fact it started raining!  everyone takes off their shoes, and there is a wide 'takht' to sit on in an enclosed/glass space.

filming in the Metro. it was Imam Hussain's birthday, so the city is decorated, and on many street corners, there is soft drinks served to passer bys.

the idea to document 'ordinary' public spaces, which is what I see around me and not what is heard or seen in the media or discussions on Iran. the Metro is great here. it is air conditioned and there is a separate section for women if they wish to be in that section. the bus lane very fast, and some of the buses are also air conditioned.  the bus is also segregated, altho' not with a solid partition but a barrier as you enter the bus. I am told it i not easy to photograph or film in a public space. in fact artists need a licence to photograph or film in the city.

I am staying just off Sheykh Hadi St.  It is an old neighborhood in downtown Tehran.  Seems like a 'mohalla' with a good atmosphere.  the shop fronts are all very different and I want to stitch them together and make a 'portrait' of these shops, 


Kowzkhaneh - a place with cool weather
Visited the Golestan Palace with my host to see the photographic archives of the Qajar Kings. The images of the early travels of the Qajar dynasty kings visiting Europe in 1900 onward are very symbolic. like the first meeting of two worlds. the mirror work in the Palace is incredible. 
Bought a current map of Tehran (something I have not been able to find for Karachi) and an old map of the walled city of Tehran.  

Arrived in Tehran this evening and was observing how much the women covered themselves in the plane on landing in Tehran.  I wore my long black abaya, bought in Karachi yesterday from Zamzama street from 'Hijab ul Hareem'. But I took this off within the airport, as it was hot and it seemed Ok to do without this.  My host later told me that the airport is not so strict. On first impressions,
Tehran feels like Beirut or Amman, altho more developed than Amman I think. The roads are very good and there is a lingering sense of the European/ French influence of the Shah's dynasty.  It is interesting how the destiny of a nation can be turned and moulded to move in a particular direction, and how this can be seen 30 years down the line with such specific outcomes for the next generation.   Hearing farsi is very different from Arabic.  It is  lyrical.