Dry towels cover bodies cleansed of all uncleanliness. “Dry!”, this most familiar of expressions is perhaps the last to remain from the unfamiliar memory of bathhouses. Bathhouses, these rapidly disappearing establishments, have existed in Iran for thousands of years. Medicinal and grooming rituals and weekly gatherings of fellow bathers all took place within these chambers where patrons could take baths and groom themselves and also relax, unwind and socialize through a weekly regimen of sauna and massages. These were not just places to wash or be washed; these walls have been witness to cleansing rituals for births and deaths, historically important events, conspiracies and murders. Today, these chambers and corridors, continue to conceal all the misty memories of times gone by. Iranian photographer Peyman Hooshmandzadeh began photographing the bathhouses of his country in search of tattooed bodies. Gradually he began to notice the bathhouses which despite their charm and appeal, were falling into ruin. The series began in 1998 in black and white and later continued in color. Dry! is a series of 27 photographs taken in cities across Iran except for Tehran.
Peyman Hooshmandzadeh is represented by AG Galerie in Paris, France Peyman Hooshmandzadeh: Dry! Was on view at the gallery until November 24, 2017
