Trends & Identity

With which subversive strategies do young women in Tehran react to problematic political circumstances, and which kind of material culture is generated in the process?

The life of Iranian women is paradox. On the street, they are obliged to follow the laws of the Islamic Republic, having to wear headscarves, and not being allowed to shake hands with a man, for example. In private, they wear short dresses, have parties and boyfriends. The young generation wants to escape from this contradictory life, but is not convinced that another revolutionary movement will be of much use. Their protest manifests itself in daily life – they silently try to bring change.

In the 15 million-metropolis Tehran, I encountered women who think of themselves as apolitical, but their style plays with the limitations and repressions they have to face. With the help of objects, they make problematic political circumstances visible, and create their own material culture.

My project resulted in a book that conveys a personal view to the world beyond both the veil of Islam and Western stereotypes. A book about daily objects of protest and the civil disobedience of young women who represent the group most affected by the repressions. A book that can be read from the back or from the front, in Western or Persian reading order.