Nazgol Ansarinia

The group exhibition Only the morning bird treasures the flower garden, which takes its title from a poem by 14th century Persian poet Hafiz, includes photographs, videos, and other works by more than twenty Iranian artists on the theme of flowers. Co-curated by artist Mehraneh Atashi and Sohrab Mohebbi, the exhibition was originally conceived by Atashi while working in Tehran in 2009, after she was instructed to photograph flowers, rather than take self portraits that address social matters. In response, Atashi invited fellow artists, writers and other colleagues to contribute to an exhibition and publication exploring the historical, literary and symbolic connotations of flowers in Iran. The exhibition and publication were postponed indefinitely a few days before the 2010 opening in Tehran, after the project was referenced in an article in the international press. Now the exhibition comes to REDCAT, via a long detour, across multiple borders and years.