Parable of the Gardens

When I entered the art exhibit "Parable of the Gardens" I was quite in shock. Yet I feel as though my reaction was one of the reasons that the curator designed the entrance of this exhibit. It is quite odd to see naked women rolling around in the grass on a big screen as a form of art. Yet after hearing the curator speak I understood the meaning and concept behind this exhibit. I really enjoyed viewing an exhibit that features new media artwork from Central Asia because I have not really explored this type of art before. Therefore all though I was a bit shocked in the beginning, I understood that many of works exhibited particularly make the viewer feel uncomfortable and very uneasy because we are able to take a step into their world. The way that I interpreted this piece was from my own prior knowledge about the culture. I know that the woman's attire is especially important and the fact that the women are undressing themselves into the nude creating a sense of independence and power. One piece that I was really interested was a Video piece entitled “Earth,"(2006) by Simin Keramati. I feel as though that this piece is extremely strong because it focuses on the everyday struggle that Iranian women faces. I learned that the artist acts in this performance piece and she becomes the main object and focus. I feel as though on of the most important factors in this piece is the sound produced by the falling sand. I felt extremely unsettled when I viewed this piece because the woman sits still as she is being buried by sand. The fact that the artist uses this slow and painstaking process to exhibit the struggle and hardships that these women have to face is extremely important to this piece. I feel touched that the artist lets us not only into her own world, but the world of all Iranian women. I also think about how we will all end up buried underneath the soil of the earth when our time must come, yet this process of being buried alive shows how these women have no choice and that they must accept this because of the culture that they belong to. I feel to be an artist among this culture must be challenging yet invigorating because she is able to exhibit her emotions on a different level. I feel that the fact that she shows herself in this video shows a strength more powerful than we can perhaps comprehend.

I also felt that another piece that particularly stuck with me was the video of the man climbing a great deal of stairs. The piece shows the journey of the man from all different angles, and after listening to the panting and noises made by the elderly man, we understand how difficult this journey truly is. I can remember thinking, "will he ever make it?" It seemed to me that this journey was everlasting. Yet I enjoyed watching because I felt for him and I was encouraging him through my mind. I learned that the message of this work revealed the journey to enlightenment. When the old man was finally able to make it to the top of the spindly stairs, he sits and views himself walking up the stairs. I felt that this message was extremely powerful because it was stating that in this particular culture one main objectives in life in is obtaining the ability and power to understand and look back upon their lives. Before I heard the explanation of this piece, I must say that I was quite confused about its true meaning, yet after it was explained, I was able to enjoy it on a different level because I could understand the authors thoughts.