In October 2022, Elaheh Moonesi and I performed “This is Not a Scarf” at Place-des-Arts in Montreal. This public intervention piece invites the public to join in a collective act of protest and reflection. We invited participants to choose a scarf from a pile generously donated by the Iranian Women of Montreal and attach it to our bodies in any way they wished. Afterwards, they were encouraged to document their thoughts and emotions on a long white fabric. The inspiration for this performance came from the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was taken into custody by Tehran’s morality police and was murdered on September 16, 2022. She was accused of violating Iran’s strict laws on hijab. Her death ignited an uprising, with women taking the lead in the fight against the oppressive regime that has controlled and politicized their bodies since the 1979 revolution when the patriarchal Islamist government made the hijab mandatory. “This is not a scarf” represents the struggle and oppression faced by Iranian women, as well as their resistance. The piece aims to bring awareness to the long history of this fight for justice, equality, and freedom of expression and pays tribute to Iranian women who have been at the forefront of the revolution.
To watch the video documentation of the performance click here.
Performance artists: Somaye Farhan and Elahe Moonesi
Director of Photography: Soha Ebrahimzandi
Photos: Negar Jafari and David Wong
Steadicam operator: Sebastian Molnar
Costumes: Pantea Pezeshkan
Production assistants: Alan Gogi and Louise Callier
