Ardeshir Mohasses Exhibition at the Asia Society
Posted by By ifvc at 10 June, at 19 : 58 PM Print
The first major retrospective in the United States of legendary artist Ardeshir Mohasses was exhibited at the Asia Society from May 23rd through August 3rd under the title ‘Art and Satire in Iran.’ This unique exhibition brought together seventy rarely seen ink drawings from pre-and post-Revolutionary Iran. Ardeshir Mohasses (born in 1938 in Rasht, Iran) is a self-taught graphic artist who moved to New York in 1978. His philosophical sense of humor created unique insights into modern Iranian history. His caricatures and works have been reproduced in a variety of distinguished graphic magazines and newspapers throughout the world, including the New York Times. Mohasses’s works also have been exhibited in international museums and galleries in Iran, Europe, Asia and America. Acclaimed Iranian artists Shirin Neshat and Nicky Nodjoumi, co-curators of the exhibition, were joined by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, a collector of the artist, to discuss the life and art of Mohasses on June 10th. Then Shirin Neshat introduced Dr. Bahman Maghsoudlou, and his short documentary, Ardeshir Mohasses and His Caricatures, was screened. Mohasses’s presence in the film helped fill the gap that his absence at the hall had created, and clearly pleased the audience full of fans.
Bahman Maghsoudlou wrote, directed and produced Ardeshir Mohasses and His Caricatures all by himself in his home in Tehran in 1972. The film was shown on National Iranian Television at the time and went to various film festivals. In 1996 it was selected as one of the best short films made before the revolution by the Leipzig Film Festival. This is the only film about Mohasses in existence in which the artist has appeared, since he does not like being filmed. Maghsoudlou is working on a new updated version of the film.
