Woman, Life, Freedom

February 03 - February 25,2023

From Arts Fort Worth:

"Woman Life Freedom DFW Collective, Pegasus Media Project, and Ft. Worth Community Art Center have partnered to present a topical conversation through the visual and performing arts mediums in a special exhibition and performance event at the Ft. Worth Community Art Center’s BNSF and Program Galleries.  An special reception featuring performances will be held Friday, Feb 10, 2023, from 6 – 9 p.m. The exhibition runs Feb 3 - Feb. 25. The program will feature performance and artworks exploring diverse perspectives at the dawn of a new era for Iran and women with poetry, spoken word performance, dance, video, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and other mixed-media installation works. It is free and open to the public.

This timely exhibition comes in response to the Iranian women who are courageously demonstrating peacefully, protesting for their fundamental human rights in the wake of unspeakable tragedies including the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, who was arrested and detained in September for failing to adequately cover her hair, before dying in police custody. The women-led uprising against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose brutal and murderous actions against women are only a portion of their theocracy, has rallied behind the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi).”

Making the invisible visible, says Niloo Jalilvand, the director of the Pegasus Media Project.  “While these protests continue around the globe, DFW’s Iranian artists and supporting communities pursued an outlet to express themselves. Thus, The Woman Life Freedom DFW Collective initiated an exhibition which seeks to amplify and expand the voices of those bravely pursuing basic human rights and dignity by bringing together their expressions in response to this historical movement,” she says.

The exhibition Woman, Life, Freedom DFW with its diverse display of works of art by the local Iranian diaspora and other artists, will be running from Feb 3-25. It is free to view during Ft. Worth Community Art Center gallery hours: Monday – Saturday, 9a.m.– 5 p.m. through Feb 25. Closed Sundays.

Participating artists include 

Alisa Eykilis, Bahareh Momeniabdolabad, Carmen Menza, Chloe Curiel, Christopher Sonny Martinez, Ehsan Shafie, Fahimeh Vahdat, Fari Rahimi, Hind Chaouat, Kristin Colaneri, Mahboobeh Mohammadpour,, Marjaneh Goudarzi, Maryam Ashkaboosi, Maryam Takalou, Mona Kasra, Nazanin Ahmady, Nida Bangash, Niloo Jalilvand, Parisa Nozari, Parisa Haghighi, Ramak Baghaie, Shafagh Kalhori, Shahrbanoo Hamzeh, Shahrzad Hamzeh,Shahzrad Javanmard, Shayan Javadi, Soheyla Rashidyan, Steph Hargrove, Tamitha Curiel, Tammy Melody Gomez, Vajihe Zamaniderkani, Zahra Jafarpour

Woman, Life, Freedom DFW Collective 

Niloo Jalilvand, Marjaneh Goudarzi, Nazanin Ahmady, Bahareh Momeniabdolabadand, Parisa Haghighi, Mari Hidalgo King, Fari Rahimi, Shafagh Kalhori, and Greg Metz

MISSION STATEMENT: 

The Woman-Life-Freedom-DFW promotes awareness and expresses solidarity with Iranian women and all people fighting for civil rights in the face of authoritarian theocratic regimes that fuel violence, particularly against women.

OBJECTIVE: 

As a local venue for amplifying and expanding the voices of those fighting for basic human rights and dignity, this event will bring together collective expression and witness this historical moment through the exhibition of art by the Iranian diaspora and other artists in support of the women-led uprising in Iran. Through sharing and connection, this event attempts to create an opportunity to hear people's voices, engage the community in healing, as well as preserve history. By expressing empathy, offering support, and demonstrating cathartic gestures, we aim to raise awareness of the dramatic challenges faced by those seeking freedom and autonomy under a dictatorship. We also take into consideration that, in a world threatened by the expansion of autocratic or theocratic authoritarian regimes, it is essential to promote an understanding of the value and significance of a democratic society. In addition, by demonstrating the fragility of democracy, we hope this event draws attention to the urgency of safeguarding such a hard-earned but easily lost privilege."

Reception: February 10, 2023 | 6-9 pm

Arts Fort Worth 1300 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
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