IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Modern life is characterized by its transient nature, discontinuity, fluidity, and instability. The modern city, emerging post-industrial revolution, embodies diversity, and constant change. Tehran exemplifies modernization driven by top-down initiatives, which carries a mix of disparities and traits of underdeveloped modernism. Urban photographs can be categorized based on their approach. In the first category, city serves as a mere backdrop, depicting urban spaces devoid of the photographer’s personal connection. These images merely document the city without deeper involvement. In the second category, however, the city is not just a physical setting but an idea. In these works, artists engage with the city on a deeper level, exploring its complexities and grappling with its significance. For these artists, the city becomes more than just a subject to depict; it becomes a source of personal concern, a terrain for self-discovery culture and identity exploration. This conflict manifests as an aesthetic struggle. Bahman Jalali’s photographs of Tehran exemplify the first category, where the city appears documented without significant aesthetic intervention. In contrast, photographers like Dehghanpour and Mehran Mohajer represent the second category. In Dehghanpour’s works, the bustling energy and cadence of urban life form the idea of his artistic vision, while Mehran Mohajer’s “Tehran Undated” collection, for instance, form an aesthetic concept centered around the notion of distancing oneself from the city’s hustle and bustle. This research studies the portrayal of the city, culture and characters of modern life in Iran, particularly in Tehran, through the lens of Iranian photographers.