Sara Raza PhD/ دکتر سارا رضا

Delighted to finally announce the global release of my book ‘Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion’ (Black Dog Press, London) on October 25, 2022, in bookstores & online. Order your copy at www.blackdogonline.com (UK).

This experimental & fractured book of artistic, intellectual & cultural materials is tacitly punk in its refusal. To borrow from punk theorist Cyrus Shahan, Punk Orientalism is “[n]ot a story of the oppressed, marginalized or persecuted minorities, a punk narrative reveals instead an unwritten history of the middle”.

Thank you to all the artists, thought partners, peers, galleries, institutions & sponsors. This book celebrates reciprocal cultural labor with 31 dynamic artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with (2005-2021) as a contemporary art curator & writer dedicated to researching art from post-Soviet Central Asia & the Caucasus – the spaces and places that were culturally & historically associated with the former Soviet Union, & expanding my research to include the Arab world, Iran & Turkey, investigating complex relationships with the USSR during & after the Cold War. Nothing but admiration for this fascinating critical mass of artists. I salute you all!

#LidaAbdul #FarhadAhrarnia #VyacheslavAkhunov #RezaAramesh #SaidAtabekov
#ZeigamAzizov #BabiBadalov
#SoniaBalassanian #ergincavusoglu #AliCherri
#İnciEviner #FarhadFarzaliyev
#AikateriniGegisian #AntonGinzburg
#RokniHaerizadeh
#NadiaKaabiLinke
#GulsunKaramustafa
#GulnaraKasmalievaMuratbekDjumaliev #TausMakhacheva #NazrinMammadova
#AhmedMater #ErbossynMeldibekov
#ShahpourPouyan #IbrahimQuraishi #KokaRamishvili
#AzizaShadenova #SlavsAndTatars #SophiaTabatadze
#MitraTabrizian #AlaYounis

Image credits:

1) Cover: Taus Makhacheva ‘Super Taus & a Camel Yasha’ (2017). Photography: Imam Guseinov. Commissioned by Leo Xu Projects.

2) Reza Aramesh, ‘Action 23: I am a Believer’ (2006). Live action (commissioned by the ICA & Arts Council of England).

3) Lida Abdul, ‘White House’ (2005). 16mm film transferred to video.

4) Ali Cherri, ‘Pipe Dreams’ (2011). Two-channel video installation, colour and sound, 5min loop.