From the perspective of a third world artist, and a protégé of post-colonial era, I look at my time, history, and place as well as art. Art, in my belief, is not politics as it has no dominant role in relations of power. Furthermore, it cannot be considered as entertainment either, inasmuch as art in many modes keeps its’ distance from tastes of the masses. Thus, it cannot be entertaining. From my point of view, art can observe what happens in the world and through the history and can raise questions, but cannot change anything. It can only tease the “systems and hierarchies”, the ones which are ascendant in realms of art, history, society and power. In fact, I attempt to respond to the history, to the historical continuum of being subjected by systems. I try to reveal the unseen experience of the lived history, and expose the silent side of it. Nevertheless, I do not succeed! Since my work is incapable of representing anything. It is, indeed, trying to bring something to present that is here and is not. I disregard rules of the art scene and use any kinds of readymades. I change their essence and create my own interpretations.
My art is impotent! It cannot change anything, nor protect anyone. However, it may be able to hint at dark ditches between truth and reality. It may also be able to mess with the systems; from deterring systems of art scene to “meta-narratives” of power and history, which can be teased in ironic approaches, instead of being accepted incontrovertibly.
The result may seem ironical, but indeed it is nothing but a huge absurdity. In fact, if I would endeavor to represent one thing, that would be the “absence”; the historical schism in links between fact and truth.

Behrang Samadzadegan