Exhibit Offers a New Look at Iran

iason's picture
Iason Athanasiadis
Istanbul
Turkey

My Blogs

My Event Calendar
http://www.cafam.org/Exploring_the_Other.html
http://www.turkishdigest.com/2006/07/greek-photographers-forgotten-capital.html
iason.ws
Exhibit Offers a New Look at Iran
  • 1 of 1
Submitted by iason on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 12:57pm

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2009

Music & Arts

Exhibit Offers a New Look at Iran

GREEK PHOTOJOURNALIST Iason Athanasiadis is a 21st century Renaissance man who has covered wars in the Middle East, speaks fluent Arabic and Farsi, as well as English and Greek, and whose photographs resemble subtle oil paintings. The Oxford-educated Athanasiadis was on hand Jan. 24 for the opening of his exhibition “Exploring the Other: Contemporary Iran” at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. The 58 photographs displayed are grouped in categories of Landscape, Social Commentary, Mourning, Religion and Political Engagement.

Athanasiadis had a unique opportunity to become acquainted with modern Iran in 2004-2005, when he was one of 30 foreigners admitted to the University of Tehran’s School of International Relations. In the process, he learned Farsi and gained insight into a contemporary Iran which is redefining itself in myriad ways.

In 2007-2008, the multi-talented Athanasiadis was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University. In September, he moved to Istanbul, where he is project manager of the Pulitzer Center’s Emerging Powers project and is learning Turkish. And he’s only 29 years old.

The amazing photographs can be viewed through March 29 at the CFA Museum, located at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. The Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble performed at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 21; a second Carpet Concert is slated for 7 p.m. March 26.

—Pat McDonnell Twair

 

Source: http://www.wrmea.com/archives/April_2009/0904054b.html