Public Art

Anvár | Moonlight

24 March - 18 April 2023 | Digital Tower, Yagan Square. The creative development of Anvár is supported by Next Wave Kickstart 2021, and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Anvár, is an immersive film-poem, exploring the spiritual literature of Baháʼu’lláh, called the Seven Valleys and Four Valleys. The poetic epic explores the first Valley; the Valley of Search, uncovering the nuance to patience, the act and vigour of search - “One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnún of Love. It is related that one day they came upon Majnún sifting the dust, and his tears flowing down.

They said, “What doest thou?” He said, “I seek for Laylí.” They cried, “Alas for thee! Laylí is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!” He said, “I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her.” Merging traditional persian miniature, realism in portraiture and the moving image, Anvár offers a meditative experience that transcends beyond the barriers of identity through intergenerational creativity and search.

Led by Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson and artistic directorate of WA Daley Rangi, in collaboration with Khashayar Salmanzadeh, Asha Kiani, Ashkaan Hadi, Raneen Kousari, Araan Kousari, Ryan Zare, Ramona Zare, Linda Razi, Hilary Abadi and Trisha Soni, a team of creatives and community, the collective underwent an intensive series of workshops, navigating the communal and creative threads of the first Valley through creative art therapy practise facilitated by Cara Phillips and an Artist Talk led by Angie Hiscock. Anvár aims to uplift intergenerational voices and spiritual storytelling in Boorloo/Perth. Anvár, meaning ‘ray of light’ in the farsi language, is about understanding spirit and its connection to our heritage, place and identity as first and second-generation Iranian Australians in Boorloo.

Photography Aaron Claringbold