Iran Inside Out: Explorations at the Chelsea Art Museum

A new generation of Iranian artists is breaking down stereotypes and challenging power relations between Iran and the West.

From June to September 2009, the Chelsea Art Museum housed an exhibition entitled Iran Inside Out. It featured the work of contemporary Iranian artists living both inside the country and throughout the diaspora. Offering a fresh perspective on international relations, the artists’ work is critical of both the Ahmadinejad regime and the United States government. As Till Fellrath, managing director of the museum, says of current Iranian art culture, “It is a very youthful resurgence, a real outburst of creativity and you can feel that there is a change in the air.” This short film, which Cultures of Resistance produced for the museum, takes you on a guided tour of the diverse artwork and challenges the viewer to reject stereotypes of Iranians that are prevalent in the Western media.