“BUTOH” PAINTINGS BY MANI NEJAD AT PROJECTS 67

Berlin and London based artist Mani Nejad shows “Butoh” – a series of delicate works weaving together various media in compositions bonded in a common language of gravity. Black matters and sets the tone for those dynamic images that are inspired by Japanese modern dance Butoh – where the exhibition lends its title from. Just like carefully coreographed movements these artworks reflect the tension of resistance and autonomy as well as moments of calmness and introspect.

While subjects and themes of the images have diverse origins they still build on one principle: space is not organized according to a straight forward linear logic or meticulous structural conception. The works rather follows their own souvereign and spontaneous tracks managing to unframe the practice of seeing from its frozen habits and conventional context.

The inherent relationship of the works echoes subtle references to movement and responds to perceptions of motion and gesture branding them with a strong common signature element and forming a stringent line of narration within the show. The many forms and fragmented figures of these works tell a vivid story. They are awakened to live by blending image segments from background into foreground and vice versa.

This kind of melding game constantly alters the way the images will look adding another stunning effect to Mani Nejad’s works. Though each final image can still be discerned in its individual elements it brings forth something new: a third image that is questioning regular representational truths, an image emerging from a transient, subtly flickering, provisional status, unfolding into its final form of complexity.