Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Something Old Something New 1974Mirror glass, reverse glass painting and plaster on wood; 1023 x 1275 x 75 mm
Purchased with assistance from the Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee 2013© Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian
The first time we saw Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian’s Something Old Something New 1974, we were captivated by the way that it reflects light. Drawing on her interests in geometry and traditional Persian mirror art, with a hint of disco ball (she did, in fact, make disco balls – including one gifted to long-time friend Andy Warhol), Farmanfarmaian’s art features hundreds of small, mirrored and painted glass shapes, which sine in different ways, depending on the angle from which they’re viewed. Under her guidance, Farmanfarmaian’s works were handcrafted by skilled mirror artists. It’s a dying art form that requires extraordinary focus and craftsmanship.
We’ve seen similar geometric patterns in historic buildings all over Iran, such as palaces and mosques, but here Farmanfarmaian has reimagined them. Something Old Something New reminds us of being in downtown Tehran, while at the same time suggesting something deconstructed and futuristic. You can see your reflection in it, both literally and metaphorically. As part of the Iranian diaspora, we feel that it almost represents us. We may change and adapt, take on new forms, but our roots remain the same.
This mix is a journey through the music that has inspired us while working on Flower Storm, our project which brings together traditional Iranian folklore and contemporary club sounds. It also features a few unreleased tracks of our own. We wanted the mix to flow in rhythm: at times energetic, at times introspective. The music, much like Farmanfarmaian’s artwork, is Iranian at its core, but many of the featured artists are also influenced by avant-garde and experimental sounds from around the world. It sits in a space between tradition and modernity, something that has always been at the heart of our project.
Tracklist
Flower Storm – Intro
Anoushiravan Rohani – Overtour of Faryad 2 (Piano)
Hossein Alizadeh – Saz-o Avaz – Tar & Vocal Improvisation
Javid Afsari Rad – Soz O Godaz Flames
Sussan Deyhim – Searching for You
Madjid Khaladj – Another Realm
Sote – Ataraxy
Sussan Deyhim vs Bill Laswell – Daylaman (Inextricable) (Bill Laswell Reconstruction)
Hossein Alizadeh – Lalayi
Loris Tjeknavorian & The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra – Rostam and Sohrab
Flower Storm – Unreleased
Flower Storm – Unreleased
Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke – The Human Game
Anoushiravan Rohani – Overtour of Ghasam Be Tou
Something Old Something New was purchased with assistance from the Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee and Tate Members in 2013. It is included in the free display In the Studio: Infinite Geometry.
Flower Storm is a new multidisciplinary project by Sepehr and Kasra V. They are based in New York and London.
This mixtape is no.24 in the MixTate series.