Sheida Soleimani: Medium of Exchange
Published: April 04, 2019 | Author: Amanda DeBry | Read Time: 3 minutes
The Department of Art and Design and Southern Utah Museum of Art are excited to welcome artist and filmmaker Sheida Soleimani to present on her exhibition, Medium of Exchange. On Wednesday April 17, the film portion of Medium of Exchange will be screened in the Sterling R. Church Auditorium at SUU at 6 p.m., with a second screening at 7 p.m. There will be a Q&A with Ms. Soleimani following each screening. On Thursday, April 18, 2019, from 12-1 p.m., there will be a panel discussion at the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics & Public Service. That evening at 7 p.m., Ms. Soleimani will present at Art Insights at the SUU Auditorium. Her exhibit will also be on display in SUMA through May 3.=
Sheida Soleimani makes work that melds sculpture, performance, film and photography to highlight her critical perspectives on historical and contemporary socio-political events across the Greater Middle East. Soleimani focuses on media trends and the dissemination of information in the news, adapting images from popular press and social media leaks to exist within alternative scenarios. She is interested in the intersections of art and activism, as well as how social media has shaped the landscape in current political affairs and uprisings.
Soleimani received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2015. Her work has been recognized internationally in both exhibitions and publications such as Artforum, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Interview Magazine, VICE Magazine, amongst many others. Soleimani resides in Providence, RI, where she is a professor of studio art at Brandeis University.
In Medium of Exchange, Soleimani charts a fragmented history of the relationship between OPEC nations and western political powers since the 1960s, when the organization was formed, highlighting the correlation between sovereign oil wealth and civil rights abuse. The exhibit combines photographic tableaus alongside a scripted film. The photographs portray theatrical interplays between caricatured OPEC Oil Ministers and the western government officials who together control the oil industry. Solitary or group portraits are staged against backdrops composed of found images of oil fields and refineries, strewn with props relating to the commodities or cultural signifiers that shape each specific narrative.
Stuart Robinson, Assistant Professor of Art Education at SUU said, “Sheida creates formally strong, politically powerful work that is teeming with color and satire. She is a rising star internationally, and we are grateful to have her at SUU to share, teach, and enlighten our students, faculty, and community members”.
Experience Sheida Soleimani’s symbolic and exploratory multi-medium exhibit, Medium of Exchange. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, please visit www.suu.edu/pva.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 26 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM) degrees in art, design, dance, music and theatre. It offers graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring nearly 700 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.
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