There are good and bad critical moments in our lives that we have to learn to navigate, such as having a baby, getting married, or the death of a loved one who depends on us.
Death is a natural part of life that we will all inevitably face. We can choose to ignore it, or confront the prospect and reflect on it. Death serves as a mirror that reflects on the entire meaning of life.
In addition to her personal encounter with the phenomenon of death, Zahra Fuladvand researched the social aspect of rituals during her DLA studies at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts (2017-2022). For her as an Iranian artist, funeral ritual is a means to explore and articulate the relationships between herself and others, and between herself and death. It is a language, as opposed to biological communication, of ancient gestures that humanity has historically transformed into the complex patterns we call ritual.
The series of photographs and video documentation presented in the exhibition are the result of the performance “Darkness Before Birth and After Death”, which was shown at the Artus Studio as part of the exhibition „Unseen…Unheard…Unspoken” in May 2019.
This performance was inspired by an Iranian funeral ceremony. Subsequently, Fuladvand with the help of Dr. Gábor Csanádi, developed a new narrative about the encounter and perception of death through three visual panels and three stories, entitled “Me, Death, Ritual”, which was exhibited at the Három Hét Gallery in 2020.
Now, after almost five years, the performance “My daughter/me/My mom” adds a new layer to the context of the theme.