THE ECHO OF PROTEST IS DISTANT TO THE PROTEST @ Auto Italia
Sometimes the job of an artist isn’t to ask the hard questions, it’s to ask the naive ones. In this instance, Berlin-based Iranian artist Nazanin Noori “envisions an almost unthinkable scenario - those in power issue an apology, governing under a banner that both acknowledges past wrongs and commits to future justice.”
Maybe I’m naive, but I want to believe that everyone was taught one basic fundamental life lesson as a child. You cannot undo the things you have done but by saying two words, just two words, you can help those you hurt move on from the pain you have caused.
I’m sorry.
Those simple words carry such power, except they are rarely uttered by those who wield it. Noori’s installation contains the phrase “I’m sorry” written in Farsi and displayed as a giant sign that reimagines the Hezbollah flag. The work is a response to the 2022 death of Masha Amini in Iran and anyone even vaguely familiar with the story will appreciate that expecting an apology is an almost laughable proposition.
Noori’s hypothetical brings to mind other current events in which atonement isn’t just an afterthought, it’s anathema. The world is so polarised that art schools might as well remove grey from the colour wheel. And it’s not just current events in which governments are unwilling to admit to any wrongdoing. Successive UK leadership parties have consistently refused to issue an apology for something that happened over fifty years ago. Remorse is far too often seen as a sign of weakness, which might explain why if it happens at all it usually only happens behind closed doors. Fittingly, Noori has allowed for that.
The installation contains a back room, bathed in red and flooded with a booming audio composition. The sound and light create a discomforting sense of claustrophobia despite the room being empty except for a circle of chairs set up like a 12-step programme. I like the idea of a 12-step for despots and I suspect such a scenario would make for rich satire in a Comic Relief sketch. On the day of my visit the circle of chairs was unironically empty. As if a meeting had been called and no one showed up, echoing the years and sometimes decades of requests for acknowledgement of wrongdoing that are ghosted by governments and those in power.
Political art is tricky, and most efforts typically come off feeling as trite as a cleverly worded protest sign. Noori’s installation swerves that pit with an all-encompassing experience that weighs heavy on the senses, creating a sense of gravitas that is often lacking when addressing overly simplistic questions that have complex answers. Why is it so hard to say you’re sorry?
Plan your visit
‘THE ECHO OF PROTEST IS DISTANT TO THE PROTEST’ runs until 22 June 2025.
Visit autoitaliasoutheast.org and follow @autoitalialive on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit nazaninnoori.com and follow @nznnsmmnr on Instagram for more info about the artist.
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