Sheida Soleimani's Birds of Passage at Denny Gallery in New York was selected by Artsy as one of the "10 Standout Gallery Exhibitions to See during Armory Week 2023".
Article by Annabel Keenan
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10 Standout Gallery Exhibitions to See during Armory Week 2023
Using humor and satire in photographic assemblage, Sheida Soleimani highlights overlooked, misconstrued, and difficult themes that shape the human experience, examining in particular media representation of global issues.
In “Birds of Passage,” Soleimani turns the lens onto her parents, “ghostwriting” their lives to engage collective social issues through personal narrative. She layers memories informed by her parents’ stories of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and their experiences of finding refuge in Europe and the U.S. Imagining her parents in different scenarios, Soleimani speaks to broader issues facing oppressed and marginalized groups and how the repercussions of trauma unite individuals as they learn to cope, survive, and care for one another.
Reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and storytelling, as well as the biases inherent in historical narratives, Soleimani’s images resemble dreamlike episodes full of unexpected objects, pops of color, and symbols, such as the snake that appears often and alludes to the South Asian and Persian survival game of “snakes and ladders.” In rewriting her parents’ history, Soleimani draws attention to their pain and duress, as well as their resourcefulness, to honor their legacy and recognize broader stories of survival.
You can still visit Birds of Passage at Denny Gallery, New York until 7 October 2023. More information here
