Photo gallery depicts Iran’s deserts

Recently, a photo exhibition, displaying the snapshots taken by Mohammad Reza Javadi from Iran’s deserts, has been convened at Tehran’s Contemporary Arts Museum.

The works of this renowned photographer maintain cultural and artistic values. This is not just a photo gallery, and in fact conveys a cultural and artistic concept, showing how the geographical environment becomes an integral part of a country’s culture.

Nearly one fourth of Iran’s territory is covered with deserts; which are situated between Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges. The best known deserts of Iran are Dasht-e Lout and Dasht-e Kavir, covering a total area of over 360,000 square kilometers.
In Dasht-e Lout, there are several local basins, each of which receives the surrounding water currents. This desert has been shaped inside or on the margins of these basins, and/or partly en route of some seasonal and temporary currents.

On the foothills of the mountains looming over this desert, traces of human settlements dating back to 4^th Millennium BC are evident. This desert is 800 kilometers in length and 600 kilometers in width, and it is mainly covered with large swamps on the margins of scattered hills. Some of the highest temperatures have been registered in this desert, such that in summertime, the temperature may reach 50 degrees Celsius, and the temperature difference in day and night may total 70 degrees Celsius.

In the central regions of this desert, there is no trace of springs. Thus, due to absence of plants, this region is also void of fauna. However, on the southern margins of this desert, wildlife exists; including rabbits, cats, foxes, hawks, snakes, scorpions, and goats.

Given that Iran’s civilization has taken shape in an arid land, many artists have created works of art based on the topic of deserts. In fact, deserts form the main theme in the viewpoint of Iranian artists, and in order to speak about Iran, one should gain an understanding and become familiar with deserts.

Meanwhile, the celebrated Iranian photographer, Mohammad Reza Javadi, in an address to the inaugural ceremony of this exhibition noted his project is one of the most recent ones, displaying photos taken from 1984-2013. This photo gallery displays sixty snapshots taken by this acclaimed photographer from Iran’s deserts.

In these photos, Javadi has established a close bond with deserts, and has unveiled their beauties and delicacies. Innumerable artists have created works of art which are related to the topic of deserts. However, among them, the photos taken by Javadi are rather unique, given that they have captured the tranquility of these deserts.

One of the guests in the inaugural ceremony of this photo gallery, the famed Iranian poet and filmmaker, Mohammad Reza Aslani, has pointed out that Javadi, in this photo exhibition has tied the image of the desert to his own imagination.

This celebrated filmmaker added that Javadi has granted an order to the desert’s movements.

According to photo critics, these photos convey the realities of Iran’s deserts. A part of these photos are also a blend of realities and imaginations of deserts.

Those, who find the opportunity to visit this photo gallery, gain a better understanding of deserts via observance of these photos. This photo exhibition has also been scheduled to convene at the UN Headquarters in New York, in addition to Geneva and Vienna.

This photo gallery has started as of August 30, and will continue until November 11, at Tehran’s Contemporary Arts Museum.

MR/ME