Overview

Theory of Survival is an ongoing collective project that invites creative responses from artists, scholars and audiences to print matter belonging to the Iranian Students Association of Northern California. This material reflects the political sensibilities of the student organisation, who were engaged with the critical years between the CIA coup d’état and the Iranian Revolution. The project manifests as residencies designed as gatherings, libraries and research labs in educational and cultural institutions. Further material is collected by active members of the Iranian community and each invited artist or scholar brings his or her own curiosity or story to respond to the library. At the time of March Meeting 2011, Theory of Survival was seeking further opportunities for print and web publication to create further access to the material. The collection has been partially contributed to UC Berkeley library, the Hoover Institute and the Library of Congress.

Presentation Proposal

Theory of Survival brings together artists and scholars of the Iranian diaspora to respond to a historical archive belonging to the Iranian Students Association of Northern California that was active from 1964 to 1984. Bound by a common language, historical circumstances and the experience of migration and exile, each artist brings his or her own curiosity, attachments, connections and stories to respond to this library of underground publications and banned books reflecting the theoretical framework of its era. Theory of Survival creates a unique opportunity for Iranian artists from across the globe to interact with these archives of passionate discourse, theorising devotional sacrifice to create a dialogue and exchange that investigates notions of martyrdom, heroism, freedom, survival and loss. In this way the archives become a vehicle for reconnecting, remembering and renegotiating historical events of personal, national, regional and global significance. Theory of Survival is a continuation of the CrossConnections project that engages the Iranian diaspora community in an intergenerational, creative dialogue about issues of cultural identity, preservation and representation.