Sébastien Cuvelier's pictures distinction utopia and actuality in Iran
Almost 50 years ago Sébastien Cuvelier's deceased uncle traveled from Namur in Belgium to Persepolis in Iran – a trip that he documented with the help of diary entries and photos he had collected there. Inspired by his uncle's manuscript, the Luxembourger Cuvelier traced his steps as he set out on the journey all these years later and discovered a stark contrast between the pre-revolutionary Iran described by his uncle and the Iran he encountered today.
Cuvelier also documented his time in Iran, and the resulting photos were included in a new photo book, Paradise City, published by Gost Books. The series picks up on opposition, particularly among young people, to restrictions in Iran, ranging from censoring social media to monitoring artistic expression.
"Iran, as described in my uncle's diary, sounded like a country in the midst of change, where the economy is picking up and young people are being influenced by Western fashion," says Cuvelier. “My uncle was a history buff, so the diary he wrote included plenty of historical references to the Persian Empire and the remains from that period that were visible then (and still are). The photos he took mainly focused either on these historical elements or on the various landscapes that he and his friends encountered on their trip to Persepolis. "
These historical connections are brought to the fore by the book design: Excerpts from his uncle's diary are used as a basis to illustrate how this “search for an elusive paradise” is a universal, timeless pursuit. "Although my uncle's diary is written in French and not everyone understands, I found that its sheer visual value was interesting for how I wanted to see the pictures," explains the photographer.
All pictures from Paradise City © Sebastien Cuvelier
Cuvelier created the photo series on three trips to Iran, where he surfed the country on the couch. For the most part, he stayed with young Iranians who responded positively to the idea behind the trip and his intentions for the project.
"Overall, these many encounters helped me define the scope of the project as it was evident that most of the youth I met felt that they could not achieve their dreams in a restricted country like Iran" he explains. He wanted to reflect this in the photographs through certain colors, symbols and metaphors in order to "give insights into what goes through their heads".
The series contains some fantastic elements to channel nostalgic, romanticized and even utopian perspectives. Some images use subtle tools like framing and lighting to point out the tension between possible paradise and today's reality. Others are obviously more dreamlike, like an enclosed outdoor area in dramatic pink, referring to the ancient Persian roots of the word "paradise", which means a walled garden.
All over Paradise City, floral references are scattered which, according to Cuvelier, are reminiscent of the garden connotations associated with the idea of paradise, while also enhancing the feeling of romance. But the flowers are also organic as they are just what he experienced in Iran, be it in the clothes of the people or in the sights he saw. "I was fascinated by how many flowers were part of the landscape, either as real flowers or as representations, be it drawings on walls, carpets, people's clothes, headscarves," he says. "Most of the graffiti I saw had the same recurring themes, mostly about martyrs and floral motifs."
Because of his visits, Cuvelier describes Iran as “a country where history is full of nostalgia, the people deeply romantic, and flowers everywhere. Contemporary Iranian youth have also developed their own ideas about paradise, and for most it is anchored in Persia. Their existence is linked to hope, the pursuit of change, the desire for a new beginning. These feelings bring with them an omnipresent touch of nostalgia that can be seen in family stories, photo albums, or in the fading memories of distant cousins who emigrated to find their own paradise city. "
Paradise City by Sébastien Cuvelier is published by Gost Books; gostbooks.com