FOREST WITHOUT LEAVES (Abbas Kiarostami, 2005)

Installation

Venue:

Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL.

Dates:

3 May - 5 June 2005.

Organised by:

The Iran Heritage Foundation, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.

Supported by:

Arts Council, Christian Amanpour, Credit Suisse, Bijan Daneshmand, Kaveh & Cora Sheibani.

Co-ordination and installation:

Colin Morris Associates.

Introduction:

Originally conceived by Abbas Kiarostami and displayed as a prototype installation on a very small scale for an exhibition on Persian gardens at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in September 2004, this World premiere installation will show a three dimensional forest of trees, where the trees have been substituted by huge hollow tree-size tubes completely covered by photographic images of the barks of trees, thus making the tubes appear as trees.

Kiarostami believes that we have lost the ability to look at nature in natural surroundings and that it is only when an item is 'framed' and placed in an artificial or museum environment, that we observe it with care and in detail. In his usual subtle manner he highlights one aspect of our environment by shining a spotlight on it, and thus persuades the viewer to take a closer and more in-depth look. This walkthrough installation transports the participant to a world which is familiar but for many is yet to be discovered.

Admission free

Enquiries:

44 20 74934766, info@iranheritage.org.

Kiarostami festival:

This programme is part of a London-wide programme of events entitled Abbas Kiarostami: Visions of the Artist celebrating the achievements of this artist and his impact on contemporary culture and society.