Parastoo Farahvar's Art Exhibition in Vienna

Parastoo Farahvar, a painter residing in Germany, is currently showcasing her latest works in Vienna, focusing on the tragic fate of African refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. In this exhibition, the artist uses visual language to depict the stages these refugees have gone through from the beginning of their perilous sea journey to their eventual sinking beneath the waves. Parastoo Farahvar, a graduate of painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran, has furthered her studies in visual arts in Germany. This prolific artist has turned her attention to a contemporary issue: the pain, suffering, and death of African refugees in the Mediterranean. These individuals, fleeing war and armed conflicts in their regions, have resorted to human traffickers and, in some cases, have become victims before reaching Europe. In an interview with Radio Farda, Farahvar discusses her main motivation for choosing this subject: "For months, I have been working and thinking about the fate of refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean waters to reach Europe. The news is filled with the bitter fates of these people who leave their countries in hopes of finding at least a calmer life. They flee from war, and their tragic fate often involves being on dilapidated boats that are supposed to take them to shores they never reach, drowning in the process. Their fall into the depths of the water seems indifferent. No matter what is written or said, organizations advocating for refugees and human rights seem to make no difference." When asked how she depicted the pain and suffering of African refugees in her current exhibition in Vienna, she explained: "In the upper part of the image, you see boats that have always been symbols of salvation in various cultures. From the story of Noah's Ark to various boats that have taken people away from danger and disasters, you see a shadowy accumulation of people compressed in these boats. Their fall, depicted as shadows, sinks into the depths of the image, moving with the waves of water until they reach the dark abyss below. It is essentially a vertical image filled with shadows of people who are sinking." The exhibition of Parastoo Farahvar's latest drawings and paintings about the tragic fate of African refugees in the Mediterranean Sea opened last Wednesday at the Interland Gallery in Vienna, Austria, and will run until July 13 of this year.