The city of Sari, one of the most populous cities in northern Iran and the capital of Mazandaran Province, is home to two art galleries dedicated to visual arts. In the past year and a half, a new space called “Goharshad Gallery” was inaugurated but unfortunately had to cease its operations after a few exhibitions due to various challenges. Later, in the same location, “Hanaye ” gallery began its activities but only organized a single exhibition.
Upon hearing the news of “Hanaye” gallery closing and its transformation into a bakery, an artist decided to utilize the gallery space for one last public event before its conversion. The purpose of this event was to commemorate the gallery’s memory and recent history, particularly concerning the lack of suitable spaces for artists and visitors.
The project unfolded in a way that involved collecting the names of artists who had previously exhibited at the gallery. These names were gathered and affixed to the gallery walls using paper instead of traditional artworks, with labels attached to them.
In the gallery’s display window, a loaf of bread with the title “Coming Soon” was soon installed. People, including art enthusiasts and the general public, were invited to the gallery. Initially, no one was aware that the gallery was going to close, and the installation of the bread aimed to utilize a space resembling an art piece. The emphasis was on the memory and legacy of the place. The intention was to demonstrate to the audience that every place holds significance for its own purpose, and when it is taken away, people, artworks, and memories associated with it are also lost. The connection between bread and art held particular importance, as in our Persian literature, when we say, “One’s bread doesn’t come from this way,” it signifies that one cannot resolve their matters through that particular path. The artist aimed to highlight the importance of both bread and art in Iran’s culture.
