Individual Media Tours for the Exhibition “Living in Two Times: Photography by Bahman Jalali and Rana Javadi”
- WHAT: Individually scheduled press tours for “Living in Two Times: Photography by Bahman Jalali and Rana Javadi”
- WHERE: [Open to the public] Aug. 6–Jan. 8, 2023
- WHEN: Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. S.W.
- WHO: Carol Huh, associate curator of contemporary Asian art
“Living in Two Times,” on view Aug. 6–Jan. 8, 2023, features the work of Bahman Jalali (1944–2010) and his wife and closest collaborator Rana Javadi (b. 1953). Noted for their sharp documentary images and haunting photomontage works, the artists are among the most influential figures in the development of late 20th-century photography in Iran. Driven by the medium’s powerful—and fragile—relationship to memory, Jalali and Javadi created an unparalleled visual record of a tumultuous period in their homeland.
This exhibition features images by both photographers from the iconic series Days of Blood, Days of Fire, capturing events in Tehran during the revolution in 1979, and images from Jalali’s Khorramshahr: A City Destroyed and Abadan Fights On, drawn from his years spent on the Iran-Iraq warfront. Throughout his career, Jalali returned continually to his project of observing the changing lives and landscapes of Iran, focusing in particular on the fishing communities of the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea.
In addition to their documentary projects, Jalali and Javadi preserved late 19th- and early 20th-century archives, which they used as a basis for creating vivid photomontages that explore the rich history of photography in Iran and question the role of the medium in shaping collective memory.
This will be the first museum retrospective in the United States that offers a glimpse of Jalali’s extensive practice and the first to be presented together with a selection of Javadi’s evocative work from the late 1970s to the present.
NMAA Named Finalist: Best Museum on the Mall
We’re pleased to share that Washington City Paper has honored the National Museum of Asian Art as a finalist in the Best Museum on the Mall category in its annual “Best of D.C.” edition. The honors in this category go to the winner, the National Gallery of Art, and runner-up, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Fellow finalists include the National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of American History.
City Paper has long shaped the culture of the local community, and these awards are determined entirely by readers’ votes. We’re especially grateful to have been recognized during our centennial year, at the dawn of our second century! Thanks to everyone who voted and to each of you for contributing to the community that makes our museum one of the best.
To celebrate, we’re highlighting some of our events that City Paper has ranked among the best:
- One of the best photography exhibitions of 2022: Living in Two Times: Photography by Bahman Jalali and Rana Javadi (August 6, 2022–January 8, 2023)
- Winner, Best International Film Festival (2020): NMAA’s Iranian Film Festival
- Plus, countless mentions in the weekly guide of things to do in Washington, DC. Thanks, City Paper!
