Navid Salajegheh: Hand/.../Hand
The Iranian artist Navid Salajegheh's photo collages show hands reaching towards one another, but never quite touching. Hands are often associated with the ability to shape and change the world, and they might sometimes express much more than words.
In a satirical story written by the artist, people are haunted by ancestors who visit them every night in their dreams. The ancestors hold tightly to the hands of those sleeping and speak endless nonsense, driving the sleeper to the brink of madness. The police begin investigating the case, and those who sleep are armed with shields and stones to defend themselves from the intruders.
The absurdity in Salajegheh's story is not unfamiliar to many of today's societies under political oppression. But can humanity and its peculiarities ever truly be silenced or tamed? Thoughts are exchanged with side eyes and through secret signs, stories are told through gentle touch, and art emerges even in the most restrictive and darkest of places.
Navid Salajegheh (b. 1981) is a visual artist and architect from Tehran, Iran. He works across various mediums, including collage, installation, performance, video, as well as fictive and theoretical texts. His work draws on found objects, memories, history, and geography. Through repetition and deconstruction, these elements transform into new forms. Salajegheh has maintained an active professional practice for over twenty years. In addition to numerous exhibitions in his home country, his works have been shown across Europe, including Ireland, Austria, and the Netherlands.
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Last Updated: 01/22/2025
Source: Visit Bergen
Navid Salajegheh: Hand/.../Hand