Unveiling histories: navigating ideological constructs and cultural memories in the contemporary art of Iran

Abstract

ABSTRACT This special issue explores the multifaceted landscape of the contemporary art of Iran, unveiling diverse approaches to historical narratives and cultural memory while challenging the concept of a ‘correct history.’ Focused on the post-revolutionary period, the essays scrutinise how Iranian artists navigate and contest an ideologically structured history imposed by the political system. This structured history, often divergent from creative historical understanding, prioritises abstract ideals and diminishes alternative perspectives. Central questions explored include how contemporary Iranian artists position themselves in relation to history and cultural memory, manifesting their way of looking in their works. Examining strategies such as irony, fantasy, intertextuality and deconstruction, these artists engage in critical re-tellings of a past that persists in haunting the present. Their creations reflect on the self by narrating history, contributing to the ongoing debate on historical narratives. The essays investigate how contemporary art practices in Iran grapple with social, cultural and political issues, including censorship, transforming challenges into critical tools that give rise to a multi-faceted aesthetics of resistance. The issue sheds light on these alternative approaches and elaborates on the broader discourse on artistic engagement with historical and socio-political contexts.