Nairy Baghramian, an artist who fled Iran and gained prominence through her engaging installations, explores interruption as a concept within architectural space. Her latest exhibition, “Jumbled Alphabet”, reflects her playful integration of sculpture and photography while challenging societal norms around representation, particularly regarding children. The work is aimed at examining exclusionary practices in art and broadening the conversation around control within artistic environments.
Nairy Baghramian’s journey as an artist began after escaping Iran during the 1984 revolution, leading to her notable emergence in the art scene with a focus on interruption and disruption within architectural spaces. Her work is a playful interaction between photography and sculpture, exemplified by her recent exhibition, “Jumbled Alphabet”, in which sculptural pieces engage with themes of inclusion and exclusion. Baghramian draws on her experiences to challenge societal norms, particularly around how children, especially girls, are visually represented in art, pushing back against expectations to ‘perform’ for the camera. Her installations prompt viewers to question not just the art itself but the space it inhabits and the experiences it evokes, creating a dialogue on control and accessibility in artistic environments.
Nairy Baghramian, who fled Iran in her youth, has established a unique space in contemporary art where she merges sculpture with photography. Her approach emphasises the significance of interruptions within spatial contexts, inspired by influential figures like Gustav Metzger. Through her work, Baghramian encourages a conversation about societal expectations, particularly regarding children’s expressions in photography, while also exploring themes of order and disorder in art exhibitions.
Baghramian’s work represents a critical engagement with both the physical and social dimensions of art. By leaving space ‘as if uncleaned’ and focusing on the nuanced representation of children, her art invites a reconsideration of how we interact with and think about artistic spaces. Her exhibitions challenge viewers to reflect on issues of belonging and the political potency of interruption in art.
Original Source: www.theguardian.com