Nasser Bakhshi

Nasser Bakhshi works in painting and “boxes”, which are his installations made out of old boxes found on the streets of Tabriz, Iran. He fills the boxes with both found and personal bricolage of memory, paintings and assemblages. Bakhshi belongs to the generation of Iranian artists born during the Iran-Iraq War. His practice revolves around the notion of collectivity amidst a continuously changing political landscape. With his boxes serving as a document to his, and more generally, human life, Bakhshi looks for an understanding of the present through the dialogue with the past. The artist’s paintings depict people that always look away. By hiding his subjects’ faces, Bakhshi challenges the notion of visibility while generating tension with his audience. His practice produces a feeling that one should not be looking, but at the same time, one cannot look away. ...

Dastan features an extensive and multi-dimensional program focusing on the full spectrum of Iranian contemporary and modern art. Dastan's program includes Dastan's Basement, +2, ParallelCircuit, Zaal Art Gallery, and Dastan:Outside. In addition to hosting exhibitions, Dastan publishes artist books and monographs on Iranian art, features film screenings, performance projects, and other events. Dastan's original space, Dastan’s Basement, was established in 2012 in Tehran, Iran. The Basement is dedicated to exhibiting emerging and cutting-edge Iranian art. +2 is a gallery launched by Dastan in 2015. This space showcases established Iranian artists and masters. Parallel Circuit aims to open the way for artists standing at the interstices of based and experimental art. Zaal Art Gallery is an international gallery in Ontario, Canada. The gallery provides an engaging and immersive space for both enthusiasts and professionals. Since opening its primary space in 2012, Dastan has continuously hosted pop-up curated exhibitions around the city of Tehran under the title Dastan:Outside. ...