IRELAND
Irish and Iranian Music Meet
Persian Percussionist Pezhham Akhavass and Celtic Harpist Diana Rowan have come together to create an unlikely musical collaboration and recorded the album, “The Sky at Dawn”.
The artists describe their concerts as: “An ecstatic journey from Iran to Ireland, the Celtic harp and Persian tombak collide in passion, joy, darkness and surprise.
Harpist Diana Rowan has performed worldwide and recorded both as a solo artist and collaborator. She combines both virtuosic technique from classical training and a soulful quality from immersion in the world’s folk traditions including Celtic, Eastern European, and Near Eastern. She also draws inspiration from classical arts and mythology.
Pezhham Akhavass is a percussionist/ multi-instrumentalist, who is a master of the Tombak and Daf. Pezhham began studying Tombak at age five and developed a very unique ability to grasp the technicalities of the instrument bringing a new approach to rhythm. His unique approach has resulted in Pezhham being termed one of the most distinguished musicians of his generation.
AZERBAIJAN
Multi-Disciplinary Artist Bakhshi Shows Work in Baku
A solo exhibition by Iranian artist Mahmoud Bakhshi opened in Baku on May 30. “Talk Cloud” is hosted by Yay Gallery, located in the historical area of Baku.
The exhibition is curated by art historian theorist Daria Kirsanova, who previously worked for several art-institutions such as Serpentine Gallery and Victoria Miro Gallery in London.
Mahmoud Bakhshi’s practice deals with a visual aesthetics that developed in Iran in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Talk Cloud is a cross-disciplinary project
that includes lightbox sculptures, drawings, and video.
In this new body of work, Bakhshi is looking into the very origins of the notion of so-called ‘political engagement’ in art. However, Bakhshi is not only interested in political power. He is equally concerned with the interaction between art and capital, another stakeholder in this rivalry for authority.
Yay Gallery, the exhibition’s host, was established in September 2012 as an addition to the broader initiative conceived by YARAT Contemporary Art Organization in order to support and promote the development of Azerbaijani contemporary art both on a national and international level.
The gallery is a commercial, but not-for-profit body. All potential revenues from art sales are channeled into supporting YARAT initiatives and artists.