A unique art project titled ‘The Birds of King’s Garden’, by artist Saleh Tasbihi was recently organized at Aaran Art Gallery in Tehran.
The project presented taxidermized birds, symbolically representing some leading people in Iran’s constitutional history in the early 20th century. The birds used in the project had all died of natural causes and no harm was caused to them, Honaronline quoted Tasbihi as saying.
The collection is dedicated to ten of the leaders, activists and journalists who were brutally murdered during the Constitutional Revolution in Iran (1905-1907) during the Qajar era that led to the establishment of a parliament. Each bird symbolizes one of the personalities, “whose names are engraved in the history of the country,” the artist added.
Peacock, larus, budgerigar, yellow budgerigar, parrot, pigeon, seagull, and starling and crow and owl are among the species chosen as representing Malek-ol Motekalemin (1870-1908), writer and intellectual, Seqat-ol-Eslam Tabrizi (1861-1911), nationalist, Sayyid Jamal al-Din Va’iz (1862-1908), a popular pro-constitutional preacher and writer and Sheikh Ahmad Rouhi (1855-1896), scholar and preacher and six others.
The project is an artistic review of the historical period of the Constitutional Revolution, said the artist, when asked about the reason for the theme of the collection. “The birds represent their figurative or metaphorical character. For example, white peacock is a symbol of glory and beauty, a dead lovebird signifies being wronged.”
Saleh Tasbihi, 35, is a graduate in graphic design and a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
He has written 300 articles and reviews on art, illustrated 18 books for children and young adults, designed 40 theater posters and directed several art magazines and websites in the last decade.
His works have been featured in solo exhibitions ‘Compound incidents’ (2014), ‘Naphthalene’ (2011) and ‘The Color of Time Project’ (2006).
