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Middle Eastern visual artist Zartosht Rahimi launches a new art piece today entitled "New Imaginary Map."

"COVID-19 pandemic has made me realize how small and vulnerable our world is and I want to express it through this new piece." said Zartosht Rahimi. 

The 300x210cm acrylic on cardboard painting consists of nine smaller parts is a representation of the world map reimagined by the artist including symbols and images that are timely and relevant to modern society. Well known political figures such as Lenin, Trump and Malcolm-X, armed and wandering soldiers, the late Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoum are present inside the painting. Key figures such as the eagle, dragon, Russian drone, the broken statue of Buddha, the sun, the moon, rockets sent to outer space are also present inside the art piece. With the addition of these elements, Rahimi aims to create an in-depth perspective on the usual 2D world map.

"I want to create a visual fantasy with bright colours and humor to create a deeper way of thinking to those who will see the art piece. When they see my painting, I want them to be critical, to spark conversation and hopefully make some meaningful action." said Zartosht Rahimi.

In the bottom part of the painting, the artist has painted himself. "I painted my own hands raised and standing in the air with a feeling of surprise. I want the people to think that the surprising reaction is caused by the chaos and disorder of the world leaving himself asking – what am I doing here?" he added.

The artworks of Iranian artist Zartosht Rahimi include concepts related to society, politics, culture and with reflections on the highs and lows in daily life.  

Under the project of Behnoode Foundation, The New Imaginary Map art piece is currently being displayed at The Center for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Germany and will be available to the public until February 21, 2021.

HOW DID THE PANDEMIC CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS AN ARTIST?

"I view the pandemic as an opportunity to change and start something new. We have been through this without knowing what to do or what’s coming next. We are all blinded and taking little steps everyday to make our lives back to normal. In the art industry, it’s definitely a low blow. We have been challenged even before the pandemic but I see these moments as an opportunity for me and for the whole industry to co-exist with the changes of time. Art is a very important part of any society as it is all about culture. No society can be mature in any aspect if the people or their communities do not understand art and culture. With the new normal, I plan to make myself more visible to the younger generation and have my art pieces ready on my social media platforms. I want to be accessible to the teenagers and youth as they are my audience. I want to inspire them, I want them to be critical thinkers and I want them to have a more in-depth understanding of the world through art." Zartosht Rahimi.