TEHRAN – An exhibition underway at Tehran’s Jinus Gallery explores an environmental catastrophe by displaying 60 photos of the dried out stumps of cut down plane trees that once adorned both sides of Vali-e Asr Avenue, the longest street of the city.

The photos are from Hassan Qadyani’s collection “Mourning for Trees of Vali-e Asr Avenue”.

“Vali-e Asr Avenue is known for its beautiful plane trees, but the process of cutting down the trees, leaving only stumps to dry out still continues. Plane trees do not simply vanish without cause,” Qadyani told the Persian service of ISNA on Tuesday.

“That is why my friends and I decided to begin counting the dried out stumps and cut down trees along the street. We started walking from Rah-Ahan Square (the very beginning of the street) to Tajrish Square (where the street ends) and counted the number of trees which reached 4100,” he explained.

“We decided to hold a mourning ceremony for the trees since in our beliefs trees are living creatures and must be respected, and nobody is allowed to cut them down without a good reason.

“I took photos of all the 4100 trees but selected 60 for the exhibit. All photos on display are the originals with no additional graphic changes,” he added.

On choosing the title and the theme for his exhibit, Qadyani explained that he aims to display the truth and urged the officials to take action.

He also said that a little note or poetry piece has been placed beside each photo to ease visual and mental relation to the photos.

He mentioned that the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) must react towards the environmental changes on this street, adding, “Vali-e Asr Avenue is registered on Iran’s National Heritage List and CHTHO must intervene”.

The exhibit, which opened on June 7, will close today in the gallery located at 21 Fatemi St., Vali-e Asr Ave.

Photo: A photo from Hassan Qadyani’s collection “Mourning for Trees of Vali-e Asr Avenue”

RM/YAW
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