Project

Azad Art Gallery has been the vanguard of Iranian art in recent years. This gallery possesses a bold and uncompromising view which is its landmark. Rosita Sharaf and Mohsen Nabizadeh, the curators, have so far held tens of experimental and uncommon projects leading to the advent of a lot of young artists who have been supported by the gallery. 
This gallery has always had extensive collaboration with graphic designers. In 2008, Azad Art Gallery placed an order with Reza Abedini concerning a project of visual identity tailored in alignment with the views and properties of the gallery. This project included designing corporate image, type, color and designing stationery and signage system. Abedini also presented the idea of designing posters with the exhibition catalogue on the back to be folded and used as invitations. The project continued in early fall of 2008 under Aria Kasaie’s art direction. 

The posters are folded in two vertical and two horizontal lines which divides them into nine equal parts. The designer is given information regarding the administration which includes the title of the exhibition, the name of the artist, the time, place and logo of Azad Art Gallery in a single uniform package. The posters, after being folded, will be sent to the addressees of the gallery in the form of invitations without envelopes. They are folded in a way to carry the information page on the outside. The catalogue which is placed on the back of the poster follows a single arrangement on which there is a list of the artist’s works, biography and image. The Farsi type Yasamin was designed by Zeynab Izadyar for the purpose of this project. 
This collection has been a representation of society’s ups and downs in these years. The gallery has intended to juxtapose these posters besides the exhibits to reflect our profile. This project has been a good sign of the hidden layers of Iran’s recent artistic enviornment. One can like it or lump it, but they can not deny its influences. 
During the thirty months work on this project, since fall 2008 till spring 2011, twenty-four designers have worked on it. 150 posters from this collection have been designed and distributed which is considered a promising number for a private gallery in Iran.