Soft Edge of the Blade Vol. 2: Art Toronto 2023

Dastan Gallery is proud to announce the inauguration of its new space, Zaal Art Gallery, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with “Soft Edge of the Blade Vol. 2”, the second edition of a series that began at Frieze’s No.9 Cork Street in London (2022). The show features a long list of contemporary Iranian artists whose works will be showcased at two venues concurrently: Art Toronto (October 26-29, 2023) and Zaal Art Gallery (October 28 – December 28, 2023).

This series of exhibitions, “Soft Edge of the Blade,” focuses on how contemporary Iranian artists approach different aspects of violence in its various “soft,” symbolic, hidden, or underlying guises. As a series, “Soft Edge of the Blade” encompasses an expansive scope, with its outlook not merely limited to the more visible “state” violence of war or political oppression. Its perspective extends to a plethora of more insidious forms of “soft” violence affecting Iranians today: migration and diaspora, identity and gender, patriarchy, tradition, family, the impact of the complexities of history on day-to-day life, language and its outreach into the layers of life and thought, fear of persecution, and much more.

“Soft Edge of the Blade” allows the audience to continue exploring Iran’s contemporary art scene, focusing on powerful themes that are alive, heart-wrenching, and relevant to global audiences today.