ABBAS KIAROSTAMI IN EASTERN ART REPORT

Publication

Issue:

April 2005.

Published by:

Eastern Art Report in conjunction with Abbas Kiarostami: Visions of the Artist.

Introduction:

Eastern Art Report has covered the Iranian world, alongside other cultures of Asia, since its inception in 1989. The magazine has featured learned articles, authoritative interviews with art historians, artists and other professionals in a no-holds-barred approach that examines contemporary developments in the context of the rich tapestry of the Iranian world's long history and extensive civilisation.

Issue 50 of Eastern Art Report features articles focused on various aspects of the work of Abbas Kiarostami, film critic Geoff Andrew celebrates the multidisciplinary gifts of the artist, noting his more recent fame as a photographer and as a poet. Writes Andrew, 'It's fascinating to compare his poems and his photographs with his films; in many regards, they function according to the same principles, display the same interests, and make the same demands upon whoever is reading, watching or listening to them. In each medium, he deploys a simplicity that is deceptive; you may at first feel that what's before you is of little or no consequence, but upon closer inspection odd complexities appear and questions arise. This is an artist who manages -- very, very subtly -- to do a lot with very little'. Anthropologist Roxane Varzi believes that Kiarostami's films are arguably the most popular non-government representations of Iran since the Revolution -- but what do they really tell us about Iran? Sajid Rizvi places the work of Abbas Kiarostami in the context of perceptions of Iran vis à vis international politics. Janet Lazarianz-Shaghaghi looks at Kiarostami's work in the context of Iranian cinema before and after the revolution. Lulu Mubarak Al Sabah examines Kiarostami's relevance to cinema from the Middle East.

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Information, e-bulletin and subscription:

44 20 83921122, ear@eapgroup.com, www.eapgroup.com.

Kiarostami festival:

This programme is part of a London-wide programme of events entitled Abbas Kiarostami: Visions of the Artist celebrating the achievements of this artist and his impact on contemporary culture and society.