“Bittersweet Longing of Nostalgia”, aims to demonstrate the relationship between art, nostalgia and politics. In the early 20th century, the human world underwent many changes. The swift pace of change has touched every aspect of human life, including science, philosophy, politics, and society, and this transformation has also been reflected in the arts. During this period, committed artists were both supported and opposed, as many debated the role of politics in art. From 2022 through 2023, Iran is experiencing a revolution that will profoundly impact its political, social, and cultural landscape. The aim of this treatise is to examine whether artists can participate in ideological changes and whether the politicization of works affects the artist's intentions. The research utilized a combination of library-based research, autobiographical and auto ethnographic techniques, and studio-based exploration to investigate the intersection of politics, art, and protest. The research concludes that artists who genuinely believe in their ideologies (not due to government coercion) should enter the political arena and use their art to support the social movement. I argue that by expressing their preferred ideology, artists can create long-lasting and influential works. In order to develop a connection to the Women Life Freedom Protests in Iran, I am creating artworks that are related to my memories and/or the common nostalgia of collective memory. I borrow from the style of Persian miniature, a form of art that has a long history in Iranian culture and contains a great deal of metaphor and hidden meaning. I specifically use the Persian miniature as a symbol for Iranian to evoke their nostalgic memories in the new environment and create a connection between the present and the past.
Keywords:
Art protest, Nostalgia, Miniature, Politics, Anti-art washing