Weekly conversations… with Soli Kiani
Meet another one of our local artists – Soli Kiani – who has by now spent 2 months at studio das weisse haus. Soli comes from Shiraz, Iran and has been living and working in Vienna for quite some time already. She studied Painting, Tapestry and Animated Film at University of Applied Arts Vienna at Christian Ludwig Attersee. Her works were exhibited at numerous Viennese galleries.
As the unusual art fair Parallel Vienna is approaching, we are wondering – what are you going to exhibit there? Is this your first time at Parallel?
Yes, this is my first time at Parallel. The exhibition is called „identity / hoviat“ and it includes an installation and sketches, which discusses the woman´s role in Islamic Iran and shows what it felt like to grow up there as a woman.
Now that you have moved to one of our studios recently, I can’t help asking this question: How do you like working at studio das weisse haus so far?
The studio is very nice and cozy and I have enough space for developing sculptures and installations. It’s also nice to exchange ideas with other artists and curators of das weisse haus.
You originally come from Iran. How come did you actually choose Vienna to become your new home?
Well, I studied art in Vienna, and decided to live and work here, because it is simply very difficult for women to live freely in Iran. In Vienna there is nobody who tells you what to wear, say and how you have to behave…and you have merely the same rights independent of your gender.
Do you already have some new upcoming projects in your mind?
I will continue with the same topic because it is very much who I am. But I am already developing a new body of work for a solo exhibition which will be shown next year and which I am very excited about already.
Interviewer for studio das weisse haus: Simona Lacinová