Presence of an absence
2019-2021
The idea for this series emerged during the artist’s residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. Nine thousand used gloves belonging to Iranian oil workers were collected over two years. They were then assembled into giant netlike structures and installed on buildings that were historically related to the oil industry. Oil has been the main source of income for Iran and other Middle Eastern countries since it was discovered and first extracted by the British colonial power in the early twentieth century. But it has also been linked to a general decline of local economies and societies. In Iran, the 1953 coup d’état (aided by the United Kingdom and the United States), the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and the war with Iraq (1980–88) were all directly related to oil, bearing witness to its strategic significance in the global economy. After the controversial reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, although oil income was at an all-time high, the country was hit by record inflation and widespread corruption, the consequences of which can be felt to this day. In much the same way as empty tables and empty hands signify poverty, the worn-out, oil-soaked gloves referred to the dire situation of Iran’s industrial workers. They had been woven together into a textured web that ‘covered’ the buildings and their fraught history, while symbolically forming a collective hand raised in a gesture of defiance. It is particularly telling that the workers of the governmentowned National Iranian Oil Company helped the artist collect and assemble the gloves. The installation has been exhibited in, and adapted to, various contexts:
Vahdat Hall Tehran, Iran 2021 Formerly known as Roudaki Hall, Vahdat Hall is one the largest venues for live art in Iran. It was inaugurated in 1967, towards the end of the Third Development Plan, which coincided with an unprecedented influx of oil money.Presence of an Absence was exhibited there as part of the 8th Tehran National Sculpture Biennial. It was the first time that it was staged in an indoor setting. Despite numerous difficulties, it eventually launched but was shut down soon afterwards following an emergency visit by the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Philosophy of the bedroom
2015-2016
This series of paintings represents one of the artist’s most introspective and personally engaged practices. The beds depicted therein function as a backdrop for explorations of the self. The solitude of the self provides an opportunity to confront the natural self or id. When viewed through the lens of societal repression and patriarchal norms, the self is akin to a figure situated between the dualities of war and peace, shame and joy, and alienated from its authentic self.
Cinema Europe
2018
Of all her works, Cinema Europe, created shortly after she had moved to Berlin, most explicitly addresses the current social and political situation in Iran. It was named after a historic film theatre in downtown Tehran, which was burned down in 1979 by vengeful revolutionaries who opposed the presence of Western culture in Islamic countries. With the help of worn-out cinema seats and a curtained screen, Hodaei created a space that stood in stark contrast to the magnificence of the film theatres of that era. The black curtain had been assembled from used chadors, the generic women’s attire in the Qajar era (the Iranian ruling dynasty from 1789 to 1925) that continues to be worn by the more traditional and religious women in contemporary Iran. It is both one of the most visible marks of the government’s authority over women and one of the most controversial symbols used in acts of defiance by today’s generation of women. In this instance, the curtain was never pulled back, stubbornly hiding what might have happened on the screen behind it rather than revealing it. In order to source the material for her curtain, the artist had asked passers-by for their old chadors in exchange for a new one. Most women only agreed when they were assured that their old garment would be used for a religious cause. Through this work, Hodaei reconsidered the conventional idea of the chador as an implement ‘covering’ the reality of women’s everyday life. By magnifying the object to the scale of a cinema curtain, she alluded to how both the government and the opposition exploit the issue of mandatory covering. This ‘weaponization’ of the veil suggests that both parties are ignoring the true significance of women in Iranian society.
The only colourful elements in this installation were a series of painted portraits of ‘martyrs’ of the Islamic revolution and the Iran–Iraq War, which referenced a specific genre of representation used by the government’s propaganda machine. Besides remembering the deceased, the main goal of these official images is to instil a sense of guilt in those who have survived. In other words, the martyrs are considered the true ‘living ones’ who become witnesses to our daily dealings. Hodaei’s work replaces the men with women, who thus become the real ‘witnesses’ of society. By doing so, it underlines the important yet often over looked or ignored role of women in different spheres of Iranian society.
links
2017-2024
http://www.peyvandha.ir/ This was the name of a website used to redirect users when they encountered blocked websites in Iran. Within months of its launch in April 2009, it became one of the most visited websites in Iran. Restrictions include not only censorship of websites but also disruption of the internet and services. Increasingly, countries see the Internet not as a right of citizenship but as a tool of governance. The home page of the Links website displayed images of flowers and natural landscapes; depending on how we looked at it, whether we engaged with the series of information and images presented and framed for us, what it meant to each of us with different visual memories, and how we perceived each other in a world so close and yet so far.
The recent series of small paintings, resembling the screens that connect us, are made with glass paint to represent pixel images so that as you zoom in or get closer to the image, no detail is visible except for colored dots. These works are made up of different layers, including urban advertising posters collected from the city of Berlin.
An empty Sofreh-rice sacks and petroleum
2020-2021
Since 1908, when William Knox D’Arcy discovered a substantial oil reserve in south-west Iran, the country has been engaged in a continuous discourse surrounding the potential benefits and challenges posed by its oil wealth. Among the plethora of slogans espoused in the wake of, or even preceding the Iranian Revolution, this one is perhaps the most frequently reiterated: “Bringing oil money to people’s dinner tables.” The tablecloth was regarded as a sacred object, crafted primarily by women using vibrant, warm hues and imbued with pure affection. It was adorned with symbols of auspiciousness and optimism. Tablecloths were traditionally laid on the floor as part of a ritual to pray for rain, which was considered essential for the arid land. In this project, we collaborated with other women to collect empty rice sacks and sew them together, transforming them into large tablecloths. Subsequently, the tablecloths were coated with a layer of petroleum and painted.
An empty Sofreh-Kalamkari
2020-2023
Sofreh traditionally refers to an iconic Persian fabric that is spread on the ground for eating or used as a backdrop for seasonal feasts and celebrations. Over time, the term itself has taken on a larger cultural significance, referring to concepts of gathering and sharing a place for family and friends to come together. In virtually all ancient civilisations, especially in the Middle East, sewing and knitting clothes and household items (furniture, utensils and decorative objects for domestic use) was predominantly a women’s occupation. Persian carpet weaving, one of the most highly regarded crafts, is the result of the labour of women and girls sitting behind a loom for months or even years. Kalamkari fabrics, a type of handpainted or blockprinted textile perfected in the seventeenth century by the Isfahan chintz industries, were often ornamented with arabesque patterns. Before the advent of mechanical tools and industrial weaving techniques, needlework, zardozi, sofreh, quiltmaking, chintzing, dyeing, beadwork and wickerwork were the main source of income for Iranian women. They provided extra earnings for households from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, in different regions with various cultures, languages and dialects. Hodaei’s latest series, Spread Fabrics, is made of cotton fabrics used in kalamkari, which are typically painted with natural paints, in this case pomegranate peel. Kalamkari artists initially used wooden stamps to decorate fabrics known as takht-e-shaal. Their experimental and sometimes unfinished motifs were miniatures and arabesque floral patterns as well as hunting, battle and festive scenes or depictions of mythological stories from the Shahnameh and other Iranian epic poems. Hodaei uses the pieces of cloth and their asymmetrical and unfinished shapes as the background of her works. She either blackens these spreads with pitch or oil, or uses them as canvases for stories from her everyday life, executed in her trademark pointillist style. Besides kalamkari spreads, Hodaei’s installation uses rice and flour bags whose content has been removed. Still bearing their brand names, these empty containers symbolise poverty, much like the old, greasy gloves in her installations.
A Fire Appeared, A Fire Spread
2023-2024
Synchronised Double Projection, Black and White, Sound 07 min 07 sec (loop) -Ed.3- Steel, tar, plaster, and glass paint (container). Produced with the support of the Konschthal Esch. In collaboration with the Centre national de l’audiovisuel, Samsa Film, The Iranian National Cinematheque and Ferroforum.
In A Fire Appeared, A Fire Spread (2023-2024), Samira Hodaei utilizes video art and metalworks to explore the complex narratives surrounding the national oil and steel industries in Iran and Luxembourg. The double projection features archival footage from Khuzestan in Iran and Minett in Luxembourg, both of which were established in the early 20th century. The intertwined histories of these industries continue to shape the contemporary realities of their respective regions.
The project reflects on the socio-economic ramifications of industrialization and conflict, while also acknowledging the dedication and struggles faced by individuals integral to this multifaceted historical narrative. It highlights their significant contributions to industrial development while simultaneously addressing the exploitation and inequalities that frequently arise as a result of such progress.
The sensory experience is enhanced by a soundscape featuring the traditional Iranian percussive instrument, the “Tombak” performed by master musician Hossein Tehrani (1912–1974). Tehrani vividly captures the dynamic energy of his time by mimicking and integrating machine sounds into his performance.
The interconnected fates of these countries and their respective industries serve as a poignant reminder of our interdependence. The 1973 oil embargo and its repercussions exposed significant vulnerabilities in economies reliant on Middle Eastern oil. This disruption had extensive consequences, including the dismantling of the Minett steel plant and contributing to the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
The installation includes aluminum pots engraved with intricate etchings associated with the oil and steel industries. The pots were inspired by the ancient craft of Toreutics, known in Iran as Qalamzani. What distinguishes this collection from conventional Qalamzani is Hodaei’s innovative use of her painting technique involving dots and points. This endeavor not only pays homage to the cultural heritage embedded in this craft but also highlights the challenges contemporary artisans encounter due to industrialization’s diminishing demand for handmade goods. By carefully applying tar beneath each container—an essential practice for preserving acoustic quality and surface integrity— Hodaei exemplifies her commitment to craftsmanship that upholds the principles of this enduring tradition. The works are each displayed within a box, accentuating the technical nuances involved in its creation, inviting viewers to appreciate the delicate interplay between art and industry.
As we navigate a world shifting towards sustainability, the project aims to reflect humanity’s dependence on natural resources while addressing pressing environmental concerns threatening our collective future.
