I am a student at a small college in Baltimore Maryland. This past semester I have taken a course on Iran, from which I have acquired a basic knowledge of Iranian history and culture, as well as a completely new set of questions generated through my study. Throughout the semester we formulated our knowledge from a diverse array of sources referencing texts discussion modern Iranian history as well as reading excerpts from writings by Ali Shari’ati and Jalal al I Ahmad. We studied the poetry of Rumi and watched Iranian films and we were encouraged to brose through the vastness that is Iranian.com. I found these resources to be captivating and full of information; despite the holistic nature of my study, I still feel that a more complete understanding of the complexity of Iranian society eludes me. This is why I have chosen to engage in the online community of iranian.com. I hope that through the website I can achieve a more complete understanding of Iranian society while promoting amity and an increased mutual understanding between Iranians and Americans through an intellectual and artistic exchange.
In my study, one of the themes that I found most arresting was the Iranian commitment to public participation and the communal agency. A distinct sense of organization and agency has been demonstrated numerous times in the recent history of Iran: during the 1979 Revolution, during Khatami’s reforms, as well as today with current the social climate and organization of youth. This is contrary to my experience as an American college student. It seems that in comparison to Iranians, Americans lack the social cohesion, organization, and motivation to initiate such widespread public participation. This comparison is undoubtedly an oversimplification which I would like to explore further.
I am also fascinated by the city of Tehran which I perceive to be rich in communal energy, hope, frustration and sorrow resulting from the modern history that played out largely within the city limits. Tehran’s streets and public places in particular, have bared witness to the political and ideological shifts that have defined modern Iran. The streets themselves have been renamed to embody the values of the current political leadership and ideologies. The streets have also been the venues for the public participation where Iranians have mobilized countless times in revolution, protest, demonstration, and solidarity or support. While public spaces are venues for dissent and have been catalysts for liberation and change, they also serve a dual function of being spaces of enforcement and conformity. The dichotomy between liberty and conformity in public spaces is a universal struggle which manifests visibly in Iran due to the nature of laws of the Islamic Republic and due to the consistent revolutionary and participatory nature of Iranian society.
I find the paradoxical nature of public spaces to be fascinating and puzzling, and am interested in exploring the topic through photography and cross cultural dialogue. In the spirit of the shift of the dominant political ideology in the United States and in the spirit of dialogue among civilizations I propose an artistic exchange of information through the creation of photo-essays depicting the character and complexities of public spaces in Tehran Iran and Washington DC United States. I believe in the power and importance of images and wealth of information and personal perspective they are able to convey. I have been impressed by the volume and quality of photographs posted on Iranian.com and would like to use this forum as a way to further explore the characteristics of city streets and public places. I plan on creating a photo essay in the capital of Washington DC, the most ideological city in the United States and the sight of the most political protest. I will photograph in public spaces, exploring themes of nationalism, of conformity and dissent as well as tensions between public and private sectors and spaces.
My hope is that a member or multiple members of the online community will respond with a photo essay from Tehran, depicting similar themes in order to provide commentary and context on the similarities and differences between our countries. I think that such a photographic exchange would be intellectually and artistically poignant and engaging. I also think that a cultural exchange based on images would be an accessible way to begin to breakdown barriers and combat the animosity, misconceptions, and sense of mystery and fear that have developed between Iran and the United States.
I appreciate the feedback of the members and readers of Iranian.com.
