Venice & Bidel

An email from Riccardo Zipoli :
” I have recently updated my website with 157 new photos featuring Iran (the site now contains 595 photos of Iran). There are four new collections […] also new galleries of other countries […]

I am glad to announce the opening of my exhibition Venice in windows at the Museum of Modern Arts of Tehran (19February-13 April 2008). The photos, which show Venice reflected in the panes of its own windows, are accompanied by lines of verse dedicated to the theme of the mirror taken from the Persian divan of Bidel (1644-1720).”
See Venice in windows in the Italian gallery

Riccardo Zipoli is a professor of Persian language and literature at the University of Venice. He has published many articles and books about classical and contemporary Persian poetry. He is also working in the field of translation such as two books of poems by the Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami. Currently he is working on questions of stylistics and rhetoric with a special focus on Persian rhyme and satirical and obscene verse. He has also carried out an intense photographic activity initially devoted to the Persian landscape… read more

Previous posts:
Contemplation
Door

Relevant link: Abdul-Qader Bedil, and Devoted to
Inner Eye: The photographs of Riccardo Zipoli at Tehran Museum of contemporary art

Contemplation

Gallery 3: The four seasons

Gallery 6: Iran – Clouds
Courtesy of Riccardo Zipoli
Homepage

In a recent effort, to sort of balance the image of Iran as presented by Fox /CNN, subsidiaries, affiliates and various cohorts, a number of slide shows and movies have been circulating the web; such as the Peace Train, Majdfar’s slide show and this one. Even the BBC –(British Broadcasting Calamity & here)– seems to have made an effort to present a less biased documentary by its own standards. This presentation of Riccardo Zipoli‘s work has none of the above agendas.

Gallery 18: Flowers

Zipoli is neither a passing by traveler, nor a photograph on a hasty assignment. His photos are the result of a long and deep relationship with the country. A Persian language and literature scholar and teacher, former director of the Department of Eurasian Studies at Venice University, film-maker, photographer, Zipoli has published many articles and books on classical and contemporary Persian poetry. He has also held exhibitions in Italy, London, São Paulo.

Gallery 1: Solitary trees

Gallery 23: Series of several trees

In 2005 he organized an exhibition at the Silk Road gallery in Tehran jointly with Abbas Kiarostami.

Gallery 19: Meadows

Riccardo’s Iran consists of solitary trees, far away roads, the remains of a wall… the poetry of an emerging life, where for others, life seems to have ended.

Gallery 13: Winter gardens

Gallery 20: Unusual trees

I think one must have a very special world view to live in Venice and still long for the culture and images of Iran! Riccardo’s work reminds me of Antonioni‘s images and exploration of what I would call the infinite no-where.

Gallery 17: Means of transport

… non-judgmental-those who have time to see …
Photos: courtesy of Riccardo Zipoli, visit Riccardo’s homepage

Gallery 7: Strips