Spring (from the Silence Series)

Playing around with the medium of their work by combining the traditional paint with the moving image, the lifelong artist friends Shoja Azari and Shahram Karimi produced the Silence series comprised of four video paintings, each representing one of the four seasons. In these works, abstract views of a lake are depicted with subtle movements of wind, water, rain and other natural elements bringing the canvas alive and imparting an element of real time on an otherwise frozen moment. Azari and Karimi's 'video paintings' are achieved by superimposing filmed footage of landscapes onto canvases that are painted with the same subject matter. Once the mirrored moving image is projected onto the painted canvas, the flat surface is suddenly brought to life.

Shoja Azari, best known for his ongoing collaborations with Shirin Neshat, is an acclaimed filmmaker and artist. Shahram Karimi, on the other hand, is an avid painter who combines his Iranian heritage with the history of Western art on the surface of the canvas. In Spring, both artists explore the painted canvas and the video projection in order to create a delicate three-dimensional hyper-realistic effect. The flat and motionless canvas is brought to life as the subtle movements of wind and water lead to a gentle scenery where nature has been infused with poetry and life.