Action 143-18

In his politically and emotionally charged sculptures, photographs, installations, and performances, Iranian-born, London-based contemporary artist Reza Aramesh confronts violence and oppression around the world, and examines how mass media portrays conflicts and their ramifications. Drawing upon his deep knowledge of the history of art, film, and literature, Aramesh begins his pieces by culling news images from print and online sources. He then isolates individuals or small groups of people from these images, and re-displays and recontextualizes them. Stripped of everything but their facial expressions and body language, these figures stand as searing symbols of the human cost of conflict. As Aramesh once explained: “This has always been central to my work . . . can restaging violence and oppression, in different contexts, engage with the original act of violence, or at least get us to think about that act?”