Iranian artist Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar has released new images as part of his ongoing series ‘Retrofuturism’.
When Iranian artist Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar launched his photo series Retrofuturism in 2019, international and regional media outlets covered it heavily. The images, which inject contemporary Western architecture into ancient Iranian sites, offered unique visuals bolstered by their marrying of contradictory elements.
The series blends materials, styles and eras of contemporary buildings, which are characterised by glass and metal. The buildings are then merged with pre-Islamic royal palaces and castles in Fars, Sistan, Baluchistan, Khuzestan and Kashan, appearing to jut out from the rocky, desert landscapes and historic stone structures.
According to Forouzanfar, the images, which are released through his Instagram page, are meant to redefine notions of restoration, providing a critical and avant-garde look at Iranian architectural artifacts.
Recently, too, Forouzanfar has expanded the Retrofuturism series with several new pieces. One compares the Jabalieh tower in Iran to the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Others superimpose Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on Chogha Zanbil, an ancient Elamite complex in Khuzestan, and an Apple store in Takht-e Rostam.
To view more of the Retrofuturism series, visit Forouzanfar’s Instagram.