{"id":55678,"date":"2025-04-14T15:34:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T19:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=55678"},"modified":"2025-04-14T15:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T19:47:00","slug":"maryam-taghavi-at-the-goldfarb-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=55678","title":{"rendered":"Maryam Taghavi at The Goldfarb Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maryam Taghavi\u2019s Unfolding Worlds<\/em> at the Goldfarb Gallery leads visitors to traverse the boundaries of not only the physical world, but also the cultural, linguistic, and spiritual. Rooted and inspired by the Persian language, more specifically, the noghte<\/em>, Taghavi takes the public on a marvelous multicoloured journey filled with movement, contrast, and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Installation view of “Maryam Taghavi: Unfolding Worlds” at The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University. Winter 2025. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon entering the exhibition, the blue walls that compose the architectural installation engulf one in Taghavi\u2019s world. Though it appears unassuming, smooth in both texture and colour, this installation manages to marvel visitors as they walk closer to the works. Located on large cyan planes, there are diamond-shaped cavities filled with light and colour. Looking into these reminds us of a kaleidoscope magnified in scale. The experience of moving through space to encounter this shower of stars is exceptionally beautiful and exciting. The show is also language-related. In this enchanting interior I look at the Persian letters as a visual representation of the culture and the strength of the language. The space is modelled after a hashti<\/em>, a frontier between private and public space and, with its large scale, the artist is enveloping visitors into her cultural and private world.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Installation view of “Maryam Taghavi: Unfolding Worlds” at The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University. Winter 2025. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further into the exhibition, framed by the blue walls, there are two artworks created with fabric. The first ethereal and fluid artwork is made up of two fabric pieces that hang from their top mid-point. The glistening soft hues of pink, yellow, and orange, and the forms the textiles create, resemble the shape of the noghte<\/em> or a rhombus. One starts to notice that this shape is a recurring theme throughout the show; the noghte<\/em>, is the shape that weaves through the entire exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Installation view of “Maryam Taghavi: Unfolding Worlds” at The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University. Winter 2025. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the right of these gentle and delicate draperies, there are four more structured, but equally graceful pieces, also composed of fabric. They are presented in a way that allows visitors to move between and around the works. The fabrics have been airbrushed in mostly blue tones, however, there are fragments of other colours, like orange, pink and green. The large panels evoke the feeling of looking at the shimmering waves of a large body of water. The air-brushed strokes are interrupted with lines of white diamonds, once again, reminding the viewer of the importance of the noghte in Persian within this exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Installation view of “Maryam Taghavi: Unfolding Worlds” at The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University. Winter 2025. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving deeper into Taghavi\u2019s world, there are metal shapes with diamond-shaped perforations. Once again, it requires people to move around it to enjoy it in its fullness. The artist seems to quite literally be unfolding her world as visitors travel through the exhibition in this choreography of unfolding and folding materials. These pieces allow viewers to understand the inside of the starry creations and although there are no colourful specks in this work, there are beautiful reflections of the artwork on the walls. I feel these reflections conclude the exhibition as it started with the prism being contained inside the walls and it ends with the prism reflecting itself onto the walls. Additionally, this reflective prism is interactive as visitors can see themselves on the mirrored surface and play with the shadows projected onto the walls.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Installation view of “Maryam Taghavi: Unfolding Worlds” at The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University. Winter 2025. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The awareness of Persian culture that Taghavi has created in this exhibition is exceptional and dynamic. A wonderfully vibrant experience that invites visitors into a geometric, warm, colourful, and cultural embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sofia Diaz Aguilar<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images are courtesy of The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Exhibition information: Maryam Taghavi, Unfolding Worlds<\/em>, February 1 \u2013 April 26, 2025, The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery at York University, 83A York Blvd, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue \u2013 Sat 12 \u2013 5pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Sofia Diaz Aguilar<\/strong><\/p>\n

The awareness of Persian culture that Taghavi has created in this exhibition is exceptional and dynamic.<\/p>\n

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