Club 29

Elham Puriya Mehr writes: Club 29 is a temporary platform that seeks to reconsider notions of exhibition space. The first part of this research project has been accomplished through a collaboration between Canadian and Iranian artists, and provides different experiences for viewers and participants throughout the course of the exhibition. Club 29 consists of an installation and discursive, performative programs.

Club 29 reviews the collected narratives and archives of Rasht 29 (Club) (1967-1970, Tehran), which was the first non-profit art space in Iran founded by architect Kamran Diba, artist Parviz Tanavoli and musician Roxana Saba. The main concept for the club was to create a space for artists from various fields to gather, eat, drink, study and exchange ideas around art and culture. This unique space held a permanent exhibition of works by artists who frequented the club and organized programs such as poetry readings, musical performances, theatrical rehearsals and even artist studios.

Artists Kelly Lycan, Derya Akay, Vedad Famour Zadeh, Reza Haeri, Sohrab Kashani, Natalie Purschwitz.

Approximations, Rasht 29, Program Concept and Installation. Including a performance, a workshop and documentation for Club 29. All work from 2018.

For Club 29 Lycan designed a program concept to reference the history of Rasht 29 and to facilitate performances by other artists from Canada and Iran. In response to the intimate rooms at Ag Galerie and the desire to approximate the social activities that took place at Rasht 29, the audience was instructed to occupy all three rooms while sitting on benches lining the gallery walls.

In some instances, the performances circulated from room to room in 15-minute intervals. In others, the audience was asked to move from room to room to view a 15-minute performance. Each program was a durational experience, lasting about an hour, not unlike a theatre production or play. The audience not only engaged with specific objects presented by the installation and program, they also participated at times in the performances designed and presented by Lycan, the other artists and the curator.