Aref Montazeri

Aref Montazeri was born in Tehran, Iran in 1986. He is a sculptor removed from conventional practices, he pursues a novel approach to mirror art that involves large numbers of mirror cuts and meticulous attention to detail. Conceptually, he follows an approach he has termed “The MIRROR follows narrative”; Which favours materialism over ornamentalism and resilience of design over buildability. His design apparatus consists of three criteria: Narrative, Material and Technique. Which is also the way he looks at art and creates it.

He started his training during the time he collaborated with Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian on design and fabrication of around 60 sculptures (2009-15). Additionally, he was involved in fabrication of Parviz Tanavoli’s sculptures and jewelries (2012-14).

He was artist-in-residence and collaborated with TUIC (Tehran Urban Innovation Center) on research projects in areas such as smart techniques and innovative materials (2016-18). Moreover he was artist-in-residence for seven months, in a collaboration with Maleki Collection in Beaulieu-sur-Mer in south of France, he fabricated three sculptures for this project, “EMBRACE”, “MIRROR 11” and the most laborious mirror artwork titled “PARADOX” which consists of 70,000 mirror pieces (2018-20).

title: From Behind…

In Aref Montazeri’s most recent collection titled, “MIRROR”, the “looking glass” as an apparatus of representation is re-visited to become a represented object itself. The challenge is to give form to this amorphous concept. He believes “To truly see a mirror, one should look at it from behind”.

What is always used as a reflective surface to mediate between the I and the non-Is’ in a Lacanian sense, becomes an autonomous thing in itself to be reflected upon. It is only when the mirror is

turned inside-out that its autonomy as an object is explicated.

As a means of reflecting the realm of real, mirror has always acquired a symbolic order and in this transition, its physicality is always implicit. From a conventional point of view, the subliminal existence of mirror does not go beyond the reflective surface but can be found behind it.

In each and every exercise to look at the mirror from behind, this process of explication of its existence is further enhanced through formal investigation of possibilities. Each piece is also endowed with a narrative layer as well, ranging from straightforward deformation of a platonic form, to re-visiting the concept of the cage as an archetypal device of controlling bodies and spaces that they inhabit.

The artist’s technique in revisiting the potentials of the reflective surface reminds one of the Situationist International détournement. As “a situationist use of the means,” material condition of the mirror, its artistic heritage as well as its contemporary culture, is integrated “into a superior construction of [a] milieu.” 1

Nashid Nabian

1 détournement as defined in the SI’s inaugural 1958 journal.