"Coexist" is a powerful video art piece depicting six dancers symbolizing different religious minorities in Iran, who have suffered under the oppressive Islamic regime. Trapped in a cell-like environment, they use their imagination to envision freedom, uniting together as the 1401 revolution escalates, breaking free from their confinement, and joining the movement towards liberation.

'Artists can create content that brings attention to their brand while also fueling important social movements and shedding light on issues that need to be addressed.'

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Since late September 2022, a civil movement has been sparking in Iran, as Iranians all over the world take to the streets to demand the overthrow of the government and end the brutal regime that has been the source of unrest for many decades. As an Iranian artist living abroad, I felt deeply affected by the ongoing revolution unfolding in my home country and was initially uncertain about how to approach it. I was grieving and unable to think creatively about anything except expressing my anger, so I decided to rent a drum and protest on the street- thinking it was the only thing I could do. 

One month into the revolution one of my friends Gelareh Siavash, who's a great narrative DP, connected me with Reza Mohseni, who was looking to create content to raise awareness about religious minorities in Iran. 

After brainstorming ideas, we decided to turn the project into two separate parts, the first to be a video art piece that conceptually explored the issue and the potential impact of Iran's transition to a secular state and the second to bring some of the acclaimed public figures with different religion background to elaborate more on the concept of secularism as it had left different interpretations to the Iranian community all over the world. 

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 Reza and I were afraid from the beginning that

tackling an issue around religion is already a sensitive subject, as the majority of Iranians were opposed to it, which was one of the reasons why the regime had utilized it to suppress the people.

But as we were finishing the first part, the conversation about religious minorities and their inclusivity into the movement became more spoken, and leaders brought it up in their speeches, which paved the way for our narratives. Religious minority scholars and leaders were interviewed in the second video to highlight their concerns and explain why it's crucial for these communities, which have been suppressed and sanctioned by the Islamic regime, to be included in the ongoing movement in Iran.

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During the process of making this art piece, I realized that my role as an artist was not just to create beautiful things but also to create awareness and inspire change. This project was a testament to that. It was so ironic that this project organically landed on my desk while I was going through those emotions.

As someone who was raised Bahai in one of the most marginalized provinces of Iran - Sistan and Baluchestan, I felt nothing but pride, honored to be the one making something on behalf of many communities that had to go through so much to survive.

It was a reminder that despite the challenges and hardships we face, we can still make a positive impact and use our platforms to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced.

Through art, we can engender a sense of empathy that is universal and show people how everything is connected.

It was during the Iran 1401 Revolution that I realized the impact that artists and creators could have on raising awareness and sparking conversations about important issues. While I used to view this as a negative and one-sided approach, I came to understand that there are multiple angles and perspectives to everything in life. Artists can create content that brings attention to their brand while also fueling important social movements and shedding light on issues that need to be addressed.

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Thanks for reading,

Shahrooz

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