“All societies evolve. All civilisations have been through big and small upheavals. And each time people have changed their way of acting, dressing and behaving. Even their deepest aspirations change. Today’s world is evolving very fast. Technological progress has brought many changes in various countries, including mine, in spite of a traditionalist reputation due to the influence of religion and custom. Right now technology is finding its way into the most intimate nooks and crannies of our lives. Every day, between waking up and going to bed again, we have access to masses of information. It’s true that virtual reality has made the world smaller, wiped out borders and shrunk the distance between people in Tehran and the rest of the world; but at the same time it has isolated people and it’s this isolation that I address with my Technology in Bed project. I began by photographing my wife and myself in our bedroom, then I asked friends if I could come into theirs. This is a view of everyday Iran, a long way from the usual stuff about violence, politics, oil, nuclear power and so on. My aim is to inform, to show people what I see and give them a better understanding of what’s going on in my country.”
Biography
Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1987, Hanif Shoaei is a freelance photographer. He followed up his studies in photojournalism at the Tehran College of Media with workshops run by press professionals. He is a member of the Everyday Middle East collective, which posts smartphone images on Instagram. Hanif Shoaei lives in Tehran, where he also teaches photography in a school for Afghan refugees.
FESTIVAL
5th Edition of PhotoQuai
Technology in bed
Hanif Shoaei
Curator : Frank KALERO
Until November 22nd, 2015
In Front of Quai Branly Museum
37 quai Branly
75007 Paris
France
http://www.photoquai.fr
