Peculiar Objects

Growing up in Iran at the cusp of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Tabesh remembers mass arrests of political activists and executions with no fair trial. Under the Islamic regime, political opinions and activism are forcefully oppressed or censored.

The human body is at the center of all modes of censorship imposed by the Islamic government, traditional society, and one’s own family. This installation, “Peculiar Objects,” addresses these issues through a series of clay vessels surrounded by text. Each bodily vessel possesses a distinctive abstract form, yet they all share a common characteristic: a prominent mouth. With their open mouths, these six highly anthropomorphized vessels represent six decades of oppression, spanning from the 1970s to the present. Each body is surrounded by a list of political activists – from all walks of life – who had lost their lives either in sham trials or without a trial at all.

In light of the recent women-led uprising in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the so-called Morality Police, telling the stories of violence and trauma is relevant more than ever.

Time Frame of Exhibition: June 16 – August 13, 2023