Detail: afar/Voyage will be the first major
exhibition of contemporary art from
these regions to be shown in Vancouver.
It is constructed as a journey in the
company of 17 artists, each of whom is
neither fixed inside the territories of
the "Middle East," nor permanently
diasporic. These artists define
themselves and the world according to
their own creative representations,
often informed by culturally specific
conditions.
Wrapping the globe, their diverse
artworks speak to the universal theme of
voyage (a translation of the Persian
safar), from the external and
geographical to the internal, emotional,
and existential. They acknowledge the
realities of political turmoil and
revolution, and how politics frames both
trauma and desire, whether individual or
collective. Voyage is seen to take many
forms. Expressed in media ranging from
painting, sculpture, and video
installation to performance and a
carpet, it is as innocuous as tourism
(with a twist), as disturbing as war—the
violent crossing of borders—and as
philosophical as the transience of life.
The artists of Safar/Voyage are
positioned as our guides, their visions
mined for reflections on some of the
most urgent issues of our time.

This exhibition is curated by Dr.
Fereshteh Daftari, former curator at the
Museum of Modern Art, New York. MOA
Coordinating Curator Dr. Jill Baird,
Curator, Education & Public Programs.
The exhibit will be accompanied by a
catalogue.

Safar/Voyage is made possible through
the generous support of: Exhibit Sponsor
Deloitte; Publication Sponsor UBS Bank
(Canada); Lead Media Sponsors CBC & The
Vancouver Sun; Gala Sponsors Chubb
Insurance Company of Canada and HUB
International Insurance Brokers; Exhibit
Sponsors: Wesbild Holdings, Canvas
Magazine,The Canada Council for the
Arts, Consulat général de France à
Vancouver, and Lamar Transit
Advertising.