The artist speaks for those who are not able to speak. This is the words of the renowned Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky, who sees the artist as a prophet. The artist creates “beauty” together with morality. But what if the artist is not able to speak? What if it is beyond the artist’s ability and capacity? If an author, painter, or filmmaker intends to express the grief in Gaza, he will not be able to express this event through art and speech. Nevertheless, our teachings offer a more comprehensive definition of art, equating it to performing high deeds. In the utopia of the Western, Eastern, and Islamic philosophers, art is valuable when it conveys great virtues; these virtues are best manifested in the martyrdom of thousands of innocent little children. Is there anything in their martyrdom rather than “sublimity”?
This marks the difference between the “beautiful” and the “sublime,” as discussed by philosophers like Lyotard. According to this 20th-century philosopher, some events are felt and understood but cannot be expressed, and it is the artist’s job to represent them. His theory includes infinite experiences like faith, hope, glory, wonder, praise, fear, death, etc., which refer to the unforgettable,

unbearable, and, above all, thought-provoking issues. To Lyotard, the sublime takes on meaning by displaying the inexpressible and the emotions whose greatness and power are beyond human imagination.
From this point of view, the art of the exhibited Iranian artists—Morteza Asadi, Kazem Chalipa, Gholam Ali Taheri, Abdolhamid Ghadirian, and Mostafa Goudarzi—takes on greater importance, offering a unique experience of the aesthetics of the sublime. Representing elements of pure art is one of the three features that Kandinsky considers necessary for creating any work of art. The painter and art theorist believes that every work of art must also be the child of his age and reflect the artist’s experiences. To Kandinsky, offering a personal style is the last feature of a work of art. These three features are well manifested in the works of these artists to convey the images of the sublime to the children of Gaza and posterity.

Amir Abdolhoseini
Art Director, Researcher, and Instructor
Senior Curator of Iran Pavilion
at the 60th Venice Art Biennale