Urban Iran

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Urban Iran

By Charlotte Noruzi & Salar Abdoh

Urban Iran is a depiction of everyday life apart from international and diplomatic policies, giving voice to people living and working in Iran today while probing the complexities of contemporary Iran. Described and revealed by photographers, writers and visual artists, from street art to heavy metal bands and book publishing, Urban Iran documents how the Western media gaze influences how much of the world views Iran, but also how this gaze impacts how Iranians see themselves, especially in the realm of the creative arts.

“The youth in Iran have a lot to express these days,” writes photographer Sina Araghi in one

section. “They use art as a way to channel their thoughts, anxieties and, at times, frustrations—and for that, art in all of its forms serves a great purpose in today’s Iran.”

Novelist Salar Abdoh relays how his adventures driving a Puegot 206 hatchback in and around Tehran were emblematic of a “split in the personality of the country . . . what makes Iran so difficult to describe to non-Iranians”; Tehran-based photographer and designer Karan Reshad offers images of markets and the country’s burgeoning graffiti scene, most notably the work of A1ONE; articles from the magazine Bidoun delve into Tehran’s largest housing complex, Iranian facial hair trends and the country’s underground heavy metal scene; Charlotte Noruzi’s personal stories about the effects of her childhood books remain with her today, resulting in her exploration of the current state of publishing and illustration in Iran today.

Together, all of these parts form a whole, an intimate portrait that is insightful and visually diverse.

“Urban Iran” celebrates this contemporary wave of creative blossoming that is now seen as part of a growing national resource of innovation and inspiration, borne from history but standing alone today, and beautifully unique. 

Urban Iran ImageReviews

The stories told in the book are as diverse as they are idiosyncratic: How can Iran's political history be traced in past beard styles versus today's "renegade beardlets"? How can one car, the French-born but Iranian-copied Peugeot 206, be both a vehicle for authorities' suspicions and Iranians' dreams of a better life?

Art Beat on PBS.org

Urban Iran takes us on a journey through the art and culture of Teheran and opens up a window through the barrage of prejudices letting the humanity shine through.

- RoadJunky.com -

if You like to know more about Contemporary Urban IRAN with a more realistic View ...without talking about politics and economics -The book "Urban IRAN" is Out now to show its readers a new,real view point about what is happening inside IRAnian youth and Art Scene the paragraph below is a shortcut to the context of the book....

- Art Hot Spot

Urban Iran offers a welcome window into the state of art and the experiences of young artists who are often nervously navigating the restrictions of the official regime...

But it would be a mistake to flip through Urban Iran as though it was a picture book. A number of the artists, illustrators, and photographers write about their personal experiences growing up in Iran or returning to the country, witnessing the uneven pace of change under the Islamic Revolution. Their insights and perspectives add dimension and texture to the images sharing the page.....

Where Urban Iran succeeds is in allowing the viewer and reader to peer into a kaleidoscope of both the ordinary and subversive, the beautiful and the barren, the plain and the plaintive—a refreshing perspective compared to the stale slogans and canned images dutifully recycled on our television screens alongside scenes of confrontation and carnage.

- Crossingthecrescent.com

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