annual report 2008‐2009 -...

Farhang Foundation Annual Report 2008‐2009

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Annual Report 2008‐2009

Farhang’s First Year……………….............................................................................................................. 5 Exhibitions: Works by Shadi Ghadirian and Sadegh Tirafkan………………………….……… 7 Celebrating Rumi: The Sights & Sounds of Mystic Persia...…………………………………….… 9 King Narseh and the Paikuli Inscription……………………………………………………………….… 11 America Digs Iran……………………………………………………………………………………………….… 13 Exploring Iran: Emerging Scholarship in Iranian Studies…………………………………….….. 15 Farhang’s Nowruz Celebration at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art…………….… 17 Iranian‐American Writers in Dialogue………………………………….………………….……………. 21 Shirin Neshat & Women without Men……………………….…………………………………………... 23 Farhang Foundation Sponsorships………………….……………………………………………………. 25

Reza Vali’s Music for Nowruz – Nationwide Radio Broadcast ……………………... 25 Support for the Persian Curatorial Position at LACMA…………..…………………….. 27 Persepolis Fortification Tablets at the University of Chicago……………………..… 27

Farhang Foundation Board of Trustees……………………………..………………………………….. 29 Farhang Foundation Management Team……………………………………………………………….. 29 Looking Ahead……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31


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FARHANG’s First Year

Dear Friends,

FARHANG FOUNDATION is the brainchild of its Chairman, Mr. Ali Razi, and its founding president, Dr. Touraj Daryaee, who envisioned a cultural entity dedicated to the celebration of Iranian Heritage in Southern California. By gathering a number of likeminded Iranian‐Americans who shared their passion of their common culture and history, they were able to establish FARHANG FOUNDATION in 2008. In its first year of existence, FARHANG has already proven to be a major presence in celebrating and promoting Iranian art, culture and history, while supporting study and research in these areas, for the benefit of the community at large. FARHANG is a non‐religious, non‐political and not‐for‐profit foundation. In this, our first Annual Report, we are reviewing our past achievements, while setting our goals for the future, with the hope to encourage you, our friends, to join in with us in our efforts. We cannot achieve our goals without the generous and continued commitment of our extraordinary board members and help from new friends. Welcome to FARHANG! [signature] [signature] Ali Razi Haleh Emrani

Chair, Board of Trustees Chief Executive Officer


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Exhibitions: Works by Shadi Ghadirian and Sadegh Tirafkan

In cooperation with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA),FARHANG’s first project for the public, was the exhibition of works by Shadi Ghadirian, and the visual presentation of a film by Sadeq Tirafkan.

Ghadirian is a contemporary Iranian photographer, and in this exhibition, thirty three works from her Qajar Series, produced in 1998, were showcased at LACMA. These works depict women in the traditional hijab in a nineteenth century setting, shown side by side with a modern and out‐of‐period element. Through the introduction of anachronistic presence of such things as a Pepsi can, a boom box, or a vacuum cleaner, Ghadirian creates contradictions that bring into focus women and their role in present‐day Iran.

In addition to Ghadirian’s works, Sadeq Tirafkan’s Persepolis II short film was presented with the installation of two big screens at the Ancient Iran Gallery. Sadeq Tirafkan is a contemporary Iranian artist who has produced rhythmic viewing of Persepolis in motion. Through his photographs and videos, Tirafkan, like other Iranian artists of his generation, captures the spirit of a society caught between the present and the past.

The exhibition opening included a reception for Friends of FARHANG, and a tour of the ancient Iran gallery by its curator, Dr. Ali Mousavi.

FARHANG is Art…


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Celebrating Rumi: The Sights & Sounds of Mystic Persia

FARHANG cosponsored a celebration of the Persian poet, Jalal ud‐din Mowlana Rumi at the Hollywood Bowl. Traditions of Iran and beyond were set to music and songs performed by the finest Persian musicians and vocalists. The program was complemented by the trance of whirling dervishes set to live calligraphy projections.

This enchanted evening included performances by The Silk Road Ensemble and Yo‐Yo Ma, with special guests such as Kayhan Kalhor Ensemble, The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus with Sheikh Hamza Chakour & Ensemble Al‐Kindi.

Other renowned performers who participated were The Qaderi Dervishes of Kurdistan, Nour Mohammad Dorpour and Ostad Kaboli, and Shohreh Aghdashloo and Iraj Gorgin who read Persian poetry to live calligraphy projections.

FARHANG is Music…


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King Narseh and the Paikuli Inscription

In its support of research and study in the field of Iranian history, FARHANG co‐sponsored a series of lectures at California State University, Fullerton as part of the Rastegar Family Iraj Afshar Iranica Lecture series. The lectures were delivered by Professor Carlo G. Cereti, Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” They focused on the reign of King Narseh (293‐302 CE) of the Sasanian dynasty (224‐651 CE), and the inscription he left in Paikuli in modern day Iraqi Kurdistan. Three Lectures were presented as “King Narseh and his Reign”, “The Paikuli Monument and Inscription”, and “Herzfeld’s Travel to and around Paikuli.” Based on the Paikuli inscription, the first lecture sketched the history of Narseh’s rise to power, his position before sitting on the Sasanian throne and the circumstances leading up to it. The second lecture focused on the physical monument, the inscription, and the environment surrounding them. The third and last lecture recounted the experiences of the German archeologist, Ernst Herzfeld, traveling to the Iraqi Kurdistan and working on the Paikuli monument, and the history of research on its important inscription.

FARHANG is History…


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America Digs Iran

During another public event cosponsored by Farhang, Dr. Ali Mousavi, the Curator of Ancient Iranian art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art presented a fascinating talk about the contribution of Americans to the study of archeology of Iran.

Dr. Mousavi began his presentation with a pictorial narrative of the French monopoly on excavations in Iran in the nineteenth century, their eventual loss of their privileges in this area and the appearance of other European countries in the fray. He then discussed the beginning of the engagement of American archeologists in Iran and the importance of their work in various parts of Iran under the Pahlavi regime, and even in the post revolutionary period.

FARHANG is Archeology…


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Exploring Iran: Emerging Scholarship in Iranian Studies

The Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture hosted a one‐day conference with the sponsorship of the FARHANG Foundation. More than twenty participants and five panels discussed the various aspects of Iranian Studies including modern Persian literature, anthropological work, ancient and modern history and religious tradition. This multidisciplinary conference provided a forum for those conducting post‐graduate work in various fields of Iranian Studies to share their research interests and discuss new strategies in investigating the Iranian world.

The attendees were privileged by the presence of some of the major professors and scholars active in the field of Iranian Studies such as Nasrin Rahimieh (UCI), Jasmin Rostam‐Kolayi (CSUF), Fariba Taghavi (CSULB), Arash Khazeni (Claremont McKenna), Afshin Matin‐Asgari (CSULA), Touraj Daryaee (UCI), Ali Mousavi (LACMA), Martin Schwartz (UCB), Yuhan Vevaina (Harvard), Matthew Stolper (University of Chicago), and Hossein Ziai (UCLA).

During the course of the day, five panels covered “Literature, Self and the Nation”, “The Cleric, the Intellectual, and Modern Life”, “Economy, Archaeology in Late Antique Iran”, “Psychoanalysis, Genealogy and of Gender”, and “Translating Middle Persian Texts: How can we Learn from other Traditions?” respectively.

FARHANG is Education…


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FARHANG’s Nowruz Celebration at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

FARHANG celebrated the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, with an array of festive and cultural programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The two‐day celebration was open to the public free of charge, aiming at introducing this major cultural Iranian tradition to the community at large. The activities included the presentation of FARHANG Heritage Award to Dr. Ehsan Yarshater, emeritus professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University and the editor of the Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Enyclopaedia Iranica aims to provide the most accurate and learned entries on every aspect of Iranian civilization, and it is considered to be the single most important source of information for all interested in history and culture of Iran. Dr. Yarshater was honored for his long service to the Iranian Studies through the presentation of FARHANG Heritage medallion and a plaque by Ali C. Razi, Touraj Daryaee and Darioush Khaledi. The award also included a monetary contribution to Iranica.

In another section of the program, the prize for the FARHANG competition for the best short film on Iranian Heritage was presented to Ali Attar for his work, Haftaan. Mr. Attar, who is in Iran was unable to attend, had sent a brief acceptance note through his representative in California. His film was screened at FARHANG Nowruz festival and is now available online at www.farhang.org along with works by runner‐up contestants.

FARHANG is Heritage…


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FARHANG’s Nowruz Celebration at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

In the afternoon of the first day of FARHANG Nowruz celebration, the Djanbazian Dance Group presented its interpretation of the story of Zal and Rudabeh from the Shahnameh at the Bing Theater. The performance combined the traditional Iranian art of naghali with dance and music to enchant the audience with the beauty of this love story.

The second day of the event, offered various activities, such as Persian calligraphy and storytelling, for adults and children alike. The festivities were highlighted by a beautiful performance of Persian Classical music by the Namaad Ensemble in LACMA open‐air pavilion, enjoyed by hundreds of onlookers. Radio 670AM covered the concert live so that tens of thousands of people heard the program.

Preceding the concert, Dr. Banani gave a short talk explaining the spirit of Nowruz and its significance for the benefit of second‐generation Iranians and non‐Iranians in the audience.

FARHANG is Celebration…


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Iranian‐American Writers in Dialogue The Gustav E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles in cooperation with the FARHANG Foundation organized a one day conference in May 2009, focused on Iranian Contemporary Literature. The event was convened by Dr. Nasrin Rahimieh (UC Irvine) and Dr. Persis Karim (San Jose State University). Iranian authors such as Nahid Rachlin, Farnoosh Moshiri, Salar Abdoh sat in dialogue with Leila Pazargadi, Amy DePaul and Elham Gheytanchi. The Association of Iranian‐American Writers (AIAW) was a co‐sponsor of the program. The major themes of discussion were immigration, gender roles and the dual identity of a community in exile.

FARHANG is Literature…


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Shirin Neshat & Women without Men

Shirin Neshat, the leading contemporary Iranian artist, graciously accepted FARHANG‘s invitation to screen parts of her new film, Women without Men based on Shahrnoush Parsipour’s novel with the same name, at the Bing Theater at LACMA. The showing of the film was interlaid with discussions of the work and the process of making it between Ms. Neshat and Professor Nasrin Rahimieh (UCI). Neshat then took questions from the audience and explained the challenges involved in the making of her film.

FARHANG is Film…


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FARHANG Foundation Sponsorships

Reza Vali’s Music for Nowruz – Nationwide Radio Broadcast

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) performed Toward that Endless Plain, a concerto for Persian ney by Reza Vali, which was then broadcasted across the US during Nowruz. The work is inspired by the twentieth century mystic poet Sohrab Sepehri. The broadcast of this program was sponsored by the FARHANG Foundation; the importance of this sponsorship was eloquently put by FARHANG Foundation’s President, Dr. Touraj Daryaee:

“…partnering with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, one of the premiere cultural institutions of our city, in this milestone season fits perfectly with the mission of our organization. It is a special opportunity to promote and celebrate the wonderful art and culture of Iranian‐Americans in Southern California, and it also allows us to bring LACO’s performance of Reza Vali’s marvelous composition to classical music listeners across America, thereby enriching the community at large.”

FARHANG is Lending a Hand…


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Support for the Persian Curatorial Position at Los Angeles County Museum of Art

LACMA houses one of the most significant collections of ancient Iranian art in the US. In July 2008, the museum appointed its first curator of ancient Near Eastern/Persian art, Dr. Ali Mousavi; a grant by FARHANG Foundation will support this new position. Dr. Mousavi will work on an exhibition focusing on American archaeology in Iran tentatively titled America Digs Iran: The Archaeological Record 1931‐2004. He will also help plan the reinstallation of the ancient Near Eastern and Iranian galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, while continuing work on publications related to the permanent collection, in electronic format and print.

Persepolis Fortification Tablets at the University of Chicago

In support of Professor Matthew Stolper’s efforts in digital scanning and cataloguing of the Persepolis fortification tablets housed at the Chicago Oriental Institute, FARHANG foundation organized a private fundraiser in Los Angeles. At the event, Dr. Stolper gave a talk about the significance of these precious artifacts and their importance for the study of ancient Iranian world and civilization in antiquity. FARHANG Foundation will continue its support of this project to ensure the creation of a record of the information contained in the existing corpus of the tablets and their preservation.

…FARHANG is Iranian Culture!


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FARHANG Foundation Board of Trustees

Ali Razi Chairman of the Board Fasha Mahjoor

Hassan Izad Treasurer Aria Mehrabi Nahid Pirnazar Secretary Farhad Mohit Touraj Daryaee President Hooshang Pak Daryoush Khaledi Shidan Taslimi Ahmad Gramian

FARHANG Foundation Management Team

Haleh Emrani Chief Executive Officer

Reza Goharzad Public Relations

Bita Milanian Public Relations

Banafsheh P. Abadi Assistant to the CEO

Official Photographer

Haydeh Shirmohammadi Development Director


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Looking Ahead… In the upcoming year, FARHANG Foundation will continue its efforts in celebrating and promoting Iranian art, culture and history. There are a number events and activities to look forward to:

A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation Carpets

LACMA’s two spectacular Persian carpets, both the gift of J. Paul Getty and dating to the first half of the 16th century, have only rarely been exhibited due in part to their size and their sensitivity to light. Now, for the first time, these large and splendid carpets will be shown together, affording visitors the opportunity to see two of the world’s most renowned Persian carpets and to learn something of their fascinating history before and after they left Iran, November 14, 2009 – January 18, 2010.

Kamran Diba & the Contemporary Museum of Art of Tehran (CMAT)

Kamran Diba, the architect and director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran (CMAT), will talk about the unique and exceptional collection housed at the museum and his efforts in assembling it. Mr. Diba was a recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986 for Shustar New Town, April 2010.

FARHANG Film Festival Farhang Foundation and SoCiArts are proud to announce the second annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival. This year, filmmakers from all walks of life, Iranian and non‐Iranian, are invited to create a music video (less than 9 minutes) of any genre or style, visualizing an aspect of Iranian arts and culture. Total Prize Money for the three top recipients is $18,000, August 2009‐ February 1, 2010.


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Looking Ahead…

2010 Census: It's In Your Hands!

FARHANG Foundation is a member of the Iranian American Organizations united to form 2010 Census Project Coalition to encourage those of Iranian heritage to participate as Iranian‐Americans.

Nowruz 2010 Celebration at LACMA

FARHANG will celebrate Nowruz at LACMA with an array of activities reflecting the spirit of the New Year and the rebirth of nature. The festivities will include music, dance, storytelling, Persian calligraphy, FARHANG Heritage Award presentation, film festival and much more, March 14, 2010.

Shahnameh International Conference at UCLA

FARHANG is proud to be co‐sponsoring the Shahnameh International Conference celebrating the 1000th Anniversary of Ferdowsi’s completion of his monumental work. Experts in the field focused on the study of this national Iranian epic will gather at UCLA to discuss different aspects of Shahnameh and its significance for Iranian history and culture, 2010.

…Join Us!

How You Can Help…

Nominate a Candidate to be a Farhang Trustee Start a Farhang Council in an area or geography of interest Be generous with your talent and your time Be a financial donor to Farhang

Visit us at www.farhang.org Send us e‐mail at: [email protected]

Sign up for a free membership


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annual report 2008‐2009 -...

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