Additional Info // about Iman Rezai
Iman Rezai
Iman Rezai is an artist. For him art is, "what it is. Full stop. Done." Plastic debris, pieces of clothing, items found in dumpsters, objects that have a history are transformed into large scale collages that shine with garish neon colour out of the day to day greyness. However, this chaos still retains its own order reflecting the tumultuous inner life of Rezai.
Rezai began his artistic career at art school in Tehran, studying in Tokyo and London before moving to Berlin where he is a masters student at the University of Arts. He calls the expressive power of his images that convey his world view, "Imanismus." If you immerse yourself in this the weapons present in his works no longer resemble mere plastic toys. "If my artwork cannot speak by itself, then I shall also not speak for it," says Rezai and he understands communication through art like no other. He works with humour and irony using consciously provocative actions to put society to the test in his own individual way.
Rezai's most recent experiment is called "Die Guillotine" (German for "The Guillotine"). In a democratic vote, with rules established by the artist, the public can decide whether a sheep will be executed by a colourful instrument of death devised by him. Over a period of four weeks 4.2 million people voted from around the world and over 500 different international media reported on the uproar caused by Rezai and his co-operation with the artist Rouven Materne.
Instead of engaging in long debates about the injustices of the world, he shows the people what they would prefer to see. A Show.
Iman Rezai is an artist. For him art is, "what it is. Full stop. Done." Plastic debris, pieces of clothing, items found in dumpsters, objects that have a history are transformed into large scale collages that shine with garish neon colour out of the day to day greyness. However, this chaos still retains its own order reflecting the tumultuous inner life of Rezai.
Rezai began his artistic career at art school in Tehran, studying in Tokyo and London before moving to Berlin where he is a masters student at the University of Arts. He calls the expressive power of his images that convey his world view, "Imanismus." If you immerse yourself in this the weapons present in his works no longer resemble mere plastic toys. "If my artwork cannot speak by itself, then I shall also not speak for it," says Rezai and he understands communication through art like no other. He works with humour and irony using consciously provocative actions to put society to the test in his own individual way.
Rezai's most recent experiment is called "Die Guillotine" (German for "The Guillotine"). In a democratic vote, with rules established by the artist, the public can decide whether a sheep will be executed by a colourful instrument of death devised by him. Over a period of four weeks 4.2 million people voted from around the world and over 500 different international media reported on the uproar caused by Rezai and his co-operation with the artist Rouven Materne.
Instead of engaging in long debates about the injustices of the world, he shows the people what they would prefer to see. A Show.
