The review session for the project “Entertainment in Public” featured Mohammad Reza Aslani, a prominent filmmaker and theorist, along with Taha Zaker, the artist and researcher behind the project. This discussion focused on deep concepts presented by the exhibition, including democracy, violence, and the collective enjoyment of death within historical and social contexts. Part 1: Mohammad Reza Aslani’s Perspective on the Project Mohammad Reza Aslani began by praising the project, …

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  Based on a conversation with Saleh Najafi about the “Entertainment in Public” Project In a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion, Saleh Najafi explores the intersections of execution, entertainment, and the representation of violence in art and culture. The conversation, held in an informal yet intellectually rich setting, touches upon historical, philosophical, and cinematic perspectives, unraveling the paradoxes of modernity and the spectacle of death. The Intersection of Idea and …

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  ISIS’s distinction from other fundamentalist groups did not lie in its interpretation of divine law or its willingness to use violence, as groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban also executed brutal punishments. Instead, ISIS’s defining feature was its performative understanding of violence, elevating punishment into a spectacle of retribution. Unlike the Taliban, which carried out punishments as acts of divine justice without concern for media or public perception, ISIS …

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  The discussion explored the role of objects in historical and revolutionary transformations, particularly examining the guillotine as a symbol of the French Revolution and its implications for modernity and violence. Dr. Abbas Kazemi: Walter Benjamin's concept of a Dialectic at a Standstill and a moment, a specific pause… I think the “Entertainment in Public exhibition” has created an interruption, essentially engaging in a dialectical gaze at a moment, a pause, a …

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In The Tempest, Shakespeare describes a society where people refuse to give a penny to a crippled beggar but eagerly pay ten pennies to see a dead Native American. With the invention of photography, this voyeuristic impulse transformed into the practice of capturing “group photos with the victim.” In the Qajar visual culture, such images were common, offering numerous examples of commemorative photographs featuring the condemned.   The Spectacle of …

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Introduction Taha Zaker began the discussion by expressing gratitude to the participants and audience, highlighting the extensive research and curation behind the project. He briefly acknowledged the curatorial efforts and logistical support before inviting the discussion to commence. Section 1: The Purpose and Conceptual Foundation of the Project •    Mohammad Parvizi began by stating that Entertainment in Public is an ambitious and well-researched project that resists superficial interdisciplinary approaches. He …

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Shargh daily Entertainment in Public: Reconstructing the Microhistories of Objects and Bodies at the Intersection of History, Philosophy, Art, and Technology   The exhibition Entertainment in Public, held at the Daheem Innovation and Art Factory and curated by Taha Zaker with curatorial direction by Hoda Sargardan, is an interdisciplinary and experimental project that endeavors to narrate history not through written language or official memory, but through objects, technology, and the embodied experience …

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Public punishment has always been more than a legal practice. It is a form of display. A way to show the rules and the consequences of breaking them. A ritual meant not just to correct the individual but to reaffirm the power of the collective. Throughout history the body of the criminal has served as a billboard raised to communicate fear order and control. Execution in public was not simply …

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    “Whether rulers or the ruled, when they feel power slipping away, they are tempted to replace it with violence. Resisting this temptation has always been difficult for them.” —Hannah Arendt At first glance, the guillotine and death by cannon may seem unrelated, apart from their shared function as instruments of execution. Yet, from a historical and comparative perspective, they both serve as symbols of power’s violent assertion. The …

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In modernity, human power and agency became mythologized, replacing the premodern view in which humans were subordinate to divine wisdom and sought refuge in God against unknown forces. Modern humans, no longer willing to endure passively, placed themselves at the center of existence, assuming the mission of salvation through their own strength. This shift gave rise to humanism, yet the question remains: can human forces alone overcome the alien and …

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The Intersection of the Body, Punishment, and Architecture The human body has long been the subject of social control, shaped by power structures, cultural values, and disciplinary mechanisms. Michel Foucault, in Discipline and Punish, examines how power is exercised over individuals through exacting corporeal control and discipline. He argues that in disciplinary societies, power structures enforce order through spatial mechanisms, turning “the body” into a “docile body”. Foucault identifies institutions …

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  As a photojournalist, I have witnessed many executions. In my early years, I could endure the harsh reality of these events, but certain moments stayed with me forever. The first execution I ever photographed was that of Bijeh, a notorious serial killer. Terrified, I hid behind my viewfinder, taking rapid shots to distract myself from the suffocating heat. My hands shook, my photos blurred—a battle between my instincts as …

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    On January 21, 2013, I photographed an execution outside Iran’s House of Artists. I had attended the court hearing of four young men convicted of armed robbery. A viral CCTV video had captured their crime. The plaintiff, however, opposed the death penalty, stating that harsh punishment was unnecessary. Yet the court ruled for execution. I was asked to cover the event. I hesitated. I disliked capturing brutal scenes—they …

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    5 AM, Vozara Street, Tehran. Not fully dark, not yet light. People walk in silence, avoiding eye contact—like former classmates pretending not to recognize each other. At the courthouse, rows of soldiers stand guard. The closer I get, the more severe their posture becomes. A scaffold is set, adorned with flowers and the image of a murdered judge labeled as a martyr. I push through the front-row spectators—the …

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    “Behold the years long dead, Leaning from the heavens in ancient garb. Behold regret, Rising with a smile from the depths of the waters.” — Charles Baudelaire Perhaps we should begin by acknowledging that this exhibition stands in complete opposition to the familiar trajectory of visual arts—a fact that, in many ways, is both promising and encouraging. This deviation from the conventional weekend gallery visits, which persist as …

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    The word “museum” conjures a specific image: a structured space with defined purposes—research, collection, preservation, interpretation, and display of tangible and intangible heritage. Yet, does a museum necessarily have to be a place? Language, too, can function as a museum. A book, as an archive of words, becomes part of a library, an idea Borges explores in The Library of Babel, imagining an infinite collection containing all past and …

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The Human Desire to Collect and Preserve the Extraordinary The urge to collect rare, beautiful, or historically significant objects is deeply rooted in human nature. From ancient talismanic stones to ornate royal artifacts, sacred or exceptional objects have long held cultural and symbolic importance. Since the opening of the Ashmolean Museum in 1683, the role of museums has evolved dramatically. No longer mere cabinets of curiosity, museums have become powerful …

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The interdisciplinary project Entertainment in Public is one of the most compelling artistic events currently unfolding in Tehran. This ambitious endeavor, spearheaded by Taha Zaker, is staged far from the city’s conventional artistic hubs—56 kilometers south of Tehran in Ghiamdasht. In this vast open space, the Daihim Art Society has constructed an environment for exhibiting works that, due to their scale and spatial demands, would be impossible to display in …

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The Moment of Death: When Does It Occur? The separation of the head from the body happens almost instantly, but complete death, due to the cessation of blood flow to the brain, takes between a few seconds and several seconds. Some historical evidence suggests that the brain may remain active for 5–10 seconds after decapitation. Usage during the French Revolution: First official use: April 25, 1792, in Paris Primary execution …

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I joined the “Entertainment in Public” project midway. The project needed a writer, and I was drawn to its interdisciplinary and narrative-driven approach. Before this, the guillotine was, for me, a distant historical artifact—a wooden structure with a sharp blade, mostly known through literature. It was only through researching its history that it took on a haunting presence. Initially designed as a “humane” execution method, the guillotine became a tool …

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