Anahita Ghabaian – författare

A remarkable look at Iran through the lenses of 23 women photographers, at a moment in history when Iranian women are fighting for their rights with courage and determination. Breathing Space showcases the work of twenty-three women photographers from Iran and their diverse approaches to their craft. Exploring a range of photographic styles and genres, they record the past and present upheavals of their homeland as well as tackling subjects such as the nature of memory, the tension between tradition and modernity, and the scars of conflict and loss. Whether documentary or conceptual, their images have global resonance and speak of the hunger for freedom and the power of women to shape the world.

This collection presents twelve photographic journeys through Iran in the twenty-first century. The participating photographers have each chosen a different aspect of daily life in their country; a cafe, a bus trip, a shopping centre, a "living martyr", the clerics etc. This kaleidoscopic vision takes the viewer to the very heart of the variety and contradictions of a people among who nothing seems to be in its place. A mosaic of contrasts appears in behaviour and attitudes, juxtaposing a world at the same time modern and archaic.