Week 2 - Mahmoud Bakhshi - Tulips Rise from the Blood of the Nation's Youth

Mahmoud Bakhshi's "Tulips Rise from the Blood of the Nation's Youth" is a unique look at the issue of martyrdom in his home country of Iran. The work is made from multiple neon tubes forming stylized tulips rising out from the ground on top of small pedestals, in a dark, black room. The tulip, a national symbol (as seen on the Iranian flag), is said to grow on the battlefield soaked in the blood of Iranian martyrs. The "Nation's Youth" are the martyrs who died during the political riots in Tehran following the accusation of fraud against President Ahmadinejad after the elections. During the riots, the government attacked protesters and some were killed.

These political martyrs often died an anonymous death, with no public recognition. Bakhshi's work is somewhat of an ode to these young protesters who died as martyrs, but without the public recognition and fanfare that government-backed national heroes recieved, with murals and sculptures of their likeness painted and builted around Iran's cities. These martyrs were killed and their stories kept quiet by the government. The neon tulips act as symbolic recognition of the dead in an almost funeral-like setting. It's interesting to see how the dead are viewed in Iranian and Arab culture, idolised after death after going down fighting for a cause they believed in. With the power and oppressive nature of the Iranian Government however, some are forced to be forgotten as their interests went against that of those in power. For us in what we consider the free world, this is far from our own reality.

I have always had an extremely strong interest in other cultures and their respective view points, so it is interesting to me how martyrs are portrayed in Islamic countries like Iran. I believe we should all try to learn and better understand the views of others, especially in times like these (Middle Eastern crisis), so we can ease the friction between cultures, morals and religions. Though I may not agree with some of the views, it's important to fully understand them before we begin to criticize them.

References:

http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/concept-ezzati.htm
http://payvand.com/news/10/mar/1252.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Iran
http://www.aucklandtriennial.com/artists/mahmoudbakhshi.asp