Artist from Iran to join city's 'square mile' project

AN artist from Iran has been appointed as international artist-in-residence in Bradford.

Gohar Dashti, who currently lives in Tehran, will spend a month based at Impressions Gallery in Bradford with the aim of exploring a square mile of the city ranging from Little Horton to Great Horton.

She will be meeting and working with local people as part of Visiting Arts' ambitious 1mile ("one square mile") project, which is supported by Bradford Council and the Department of Culture Media and Sport.

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Similar square mile projects are running in Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, South Africa and the UK.

Bradford is one of the first UK cities to take part in the programme.

Local people will spend a month with Gohar Dashti and Bradford-based ecologist Charlie Gray, exploring the square mile and producing creative work in response.

The director of the Impressions Gallery, Anne McNeill, said: "We're delighted to have this amazing opportunity to welcome an acclaimed Iran-based artist to Bradford. We have some great events and workshops programmed during November and December, and are looking forward to helping local people take part in the project and creatively explore their city."

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Impressions will be holding an open day in the studio tomorrow from 11.30am to 2pm.

Dashti, who was born in Iran in 1980, is known for her art exploring social issues in Iran, often through photographic self-portraits.

Her work has been shown at Hillyer Art Space in Washington, USA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran, and the Iran and Silk Road Gallery, in Tehran, Iran.

Impressions Gallery's building in Centenary Square, Bradford, opened in 2007, is the first public funded specially built gallery for photography in the UK. Admission is free. The gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.

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