Green Art

One year has passed since the coup d’état that took place during the 10th presidential election. Within this year, people inside and outside of Iran have tried to make their voices heard through all available means, opportunities, and tools—but what role did artists play as cultural elites? How effective were they? And were they successful in reflecting the thoughts and needs of the Iranian people? To answer these questions, we surveyed four artists who are active in civic and social matters.

Esfandiar Monfaredzadeh, a well known composer; Bahman Ghobadi, a producer and film director; Shahrokh Moshkin, an actor, dancer, and choreographer; and Kianoosh Ramezani, a cartoonist and head of the house of caricatures in Iran share their opinions about the role of art on the people’s protest movement in Iran.

Esfandiar Monfaredzadeh, Composer

Art reflects the feelings and emotions of artists concerning the norms and abnormalities of the community.   Art has a symbolic approach, which abates people’s emotions but does not affect any social change.

Experience shows that art against totalitarian and authoritarian regimes complains of pain and is essentially ineffective.  Although the songs of Morghe Sahar and Khooneh Javananeh Vatan describe the conditions of the present day, they are ultimately ineffective, and the most we can hope is that they one day end up in museums.

My generation has experienced that art cannot bring about change or affect the rule of despotic regimes and this major feat requires complete freedom for political parties and the press. The internet—not art—informs the people. It needs an independent and free media and press. The art that exists in Iran faces limitations because of gender discrimination, which arises from the current political and religious government; women are restricted from playing a role in half of our society.  Women are restricted from expressing themselves through art.  For these reasons, art does not have the power to create change. 

Kianoosh Ramezani, Cartoonist

Graphic arts appear to be the most important tool for supporting the green movement since the Iranian press cannot properly perform its duties due to censorship and the constant shutting down of newspapers.  Online news has a more important role since it is more difficult to censor.  I will soon launch an art gallery around the world so that the people of the world can better understand the Green Movement.

I believe that artists can demonstrate a good understanding of the community and of what the people want, and can stand firmly by the side of the people in order to help them with their movement.  Furthermore, their work is not likely to be influenced by any special groups.  I believe the Green Movement does not require its followers to support either Mir Hossein Mousavi or Mehdi Karoubi; my personal belief is that this Movement is by the people and the real leaders of the Movement are the people themselves.

Shahrokh Moshkin, Actor

In my opinion, the primary goal of art is to introduce culture to the public until people understand the effects and history of culture in our society.
In my first work of art following the disputed presidential election I depicted purgatory, which is derived from a religious term and refers to our world that is somewhere between heaven and hell.  All religious beliefs imposed on the people are somewhere between heaven and hell and people should ultimately chose which of the imposed religious beliefs to believe.  In my work I try to provide the definition to prove that the theosophical thought has been taken over by futile religious motives.

In the months following the presidential election, I was filled with fear and doubt, in part because Mousavi, who was prime minister during the 1988 political massacre, was leading the movement.  Moreover, I found it ironic that the color green became a symbol of freedom; to me this color represented the Islamic government under which people were tortured and executed, and did not symbolize change, equality or freedom.  For these reasons, I did not participate in the post-election demonstrations because to me these protesters still believed in reform within the political system. 

Bahman Ghobadi, Director

Art and artists have very separate roles in Iran and their differences should be noted.  Some artists were able to represent the voice of the people this past year, but not all.  The majority of the artists, particularly those who were inside Iran, remained silent.  But in the end, those who were able to bring the world’s attention to the voices of the Iranian people did so by working with other groups, and not simply through their individual artwork.  Artwork under the political and social circumstances in Iran is difficult.  Film producers have never been able to produce documentaries about sensitive matters.  But with every opportunity artists attempt to portray what the people want.

If Mr. Shajarian (an internationally acclaimed traditional singer) approaches the national media and explicitly announces that he is the voice of the khas o khashaak (riff raff), he would be representing the people’s protest with his approach, but not with his art.  When he sings “Put Your Gun Down” (a popular Iranian song) or when other songs are created about this topic, these songs are exceptions compared to what is usually expected from artists and their work.

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The four artists conclude that while the protests have maintained a significant role, art on its own has not helped the Green Movement achieve its goals.