Ghazaleh Avarzamani (Iran/Canada) is a visual artist working primarily in sculpture and installation. In her practice she is committed to challenging hegemonic and epistemological structures by investigating the rules and methodologies used to shape power in society. Grounded in ideas of deconstruction, replication, and transformation, her research examines how education shapes psychosocial constructions of knowledge and cultural practices. She often explores games and play as tools to understand power dynamics and systems that are inherent but often hidden within our shared relationships.
During her 2022 residency* at Delfina Foundation, Ghazaleh will continue developing her research on the invisible yet ever-present control systems – as well as the thought processes underpinning their use – in museums and society at large. These systems determine how both artifacts and audiences are imperceptibly “hemmed in” by social, cultural, educational, and environmental control mechanisms. The resulting experience is similar to that in other carefully constructed and controlled public spaces – from theaters to places of worship to playgrounds. Through this residency, she seeks to unpack notions of ownership, cultural memory and education by exploring and studying systems of rulings, and the structures behind those who have designed and identified such systems.
Ghazaleh’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions internationally, at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Canada (2021); Aga Khan Museum, Canada (2021); Frieze Sculpture Park, UK (2019); Koffler Gallery, Canada (2019), Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium Museum, Norway (2018); Ab-Anbar Gallery, Iran (2016) among others. She has been awarded the Ontario Exhibition of The Year Award/OAAG (2019), Red Mansion Prize (2013) UK/China. The City Of Toronto Year of Public Art, Canada (2021).
*Ghazaleh was selected for a Delfina Foundation residency in partnership with Aga Khan Museum in 2020, during which she was to develop a commission to be presented at the museum in Toronto. Due to the pandemic her residency in London was delayed, however in the meantime she undertook and exhibited her commission with support from the Aga Khan Museum’s team and remote mentorship from Delfina Foundation. Read more about this here.
In partnership with
Aga Khan Museum
With additional support from
Canada House
RESIDENCY SEASON
Artist’s website
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Please note all artist-in-residence biographies are accurate at the time of their residency. For up-to-date bios please visit the artist’s website.