
This wall grows at its root
There is a photo archive documenting the random events occurring in a particular place in Tehran. Their collection consists of arbitrary images showing us a choreography of anonymous characters passing by, gathering at, moving through, and moving with the gates of Tehran University, from before the revolution of 1979, up until the present day.
The inspiration for this piece also comes from the traditional Persian practice of Pard-e-Khani, a way of storytelling, usually performed in the streets, on public squares, and in coffeehouses. These storytellers take place next to a big hanging painting and tell the audience about the secret stories hidden in every corner of the image. Which traces are left by subtle social acts, history, the student movements, and other encounters in the infrastructure of this public place?
Guided by a set of scores with instructions on how to reach the gates, the performer creates a fluid space between audience and image for the unwritten stories of the people who are always the protagonists of a city’s epic.
Concept & performance Sana Ghobbeh Dramaturgical advice Maarten Vandenbussche Production Kunstenwerkplaats