Burnt Generation: Contemporary Iranian Photography

Burnt Generation is an exhibition of contemporary Iranian photography that surveys the profound impact of decades of political unrest and social upheaval on the people of Iran. The title comes from the moniker given to Iranians born between 1963 and 1980 – a generation whose youth was profoundly marked by the Iranian revolution of 1979, which brought down the ruling monarchy and had major social, political and economic consequences, and the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted for eight years. Featuring an array of approaches to photographic storytelling, Burnt Generation has three central themes: the isolation, loneliness, and desolation of youth; the common threads that unite the country in spite of decades of tumult; and the personal, political and social consequences of war. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to move beyond cliché—an invitation to forget the stereotypical images of Iran and enter the worlds of eight highly original, intellectually engaged artists.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website