Archived/Activated by Amirali Ghasemi
Arash magazine’s archive is an effort to shed light on the life of a culture and literature magazine spanning from the early 60s to the 70s. In the aftermaths of the 1953 coup d’état a U.S.- and British-instigated, Iranian army-led overthrow of the elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and the division it caused between the left spectrum and the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Arash was a literary window to connect many individuals. Founded by Fatemeh Naraghi and directed by Javād Pourvakil, the magazine played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of modern Persian literature.
Arash in its early years was being run by an editorial board including Simin Daneshvar and Jalal Aleahmad, Eslam Kazemieh & Sirus Tahbaz among others. During the early years, they published special issues in the memory of Forough Farrokhzad, Nima Youshij, Sadeq Hedayat, and Samad Behrangi.
The magazine was banned once under Shah’s regime due to the critical/left affiliation of the writers, poets, and contributors. Released documents by Savak, Iranian Notorious Secret Police reveal many of its makers were under watchlist and heavy surveillance.

Arash remained dormant until the Iranian Revolution in 1979. After this period the magazine permit briefly used for a political publication called Jonbesh in a weekly format, issuing five issues. However, in February 1980, Fatemeh Naraghi once again took charge, reviving Arash in its original magazine format.

A short period in the early 80s which operated slightly without censorship, began with Issue 26 and continued until October 1981, when the magazine ceased publication for the final time with Issue 32. The authorities raided the print house and ordered the newly printed magazine to be turned into pulp, so the last issue didn’t see the sunlight again.
Here at Savvy Contemporary, we have the chance to look at the last 7 issues of the magazine, documents, and micro translations, while witnessing an open investigation on freedom of the press in both regimes and the almost invisible cultural labor invested in its pursuit.
Amirali Ghasemi’s access to the archive of his grandparents was facilitated by their daughters and son, Guila, Roya & Hamid Pourvakil with special thanks to Bahar Ahmadifard, for extended research and translation support.

Image: Installation view at Savvy Contemporary  – Berlin – as a Part of Labo*r AN INVITATION TO ACTION… A BASIS FOR HOPE