lo Squaderno (May 2017)
A City-wide Art Gallery Project
Abstract
Images exposed in urban space can express controversial meanings and power relations by contributing to shape a specific vision of the world (Soderstrom, 2000). Usually, visual materials displayed on city walls represent commercial interests (advertisement) or political propaganda, and reflect the dominant power relations in place. In Tehran, the capital of Iran, billboards have two main functions, namely, commercial and political-religious. In the spring of 2015, however, billboards had a chance to deliver a new message. “A City-wide Art Gallery” was a two-week urban project hosted by the Beautification Department of the Tehran municipality, aimed at turning the city into an outdoor gallery.
