Behnam Sadighi
Lives and Works in Tehran, Iran
2008 – B.A. in Photography, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Tehran.
Curating
2017 – This Is Us, Not Them, An Outlook on Connections and Disconnections in Iranian Documentary Photography, Ariana Gallery, Tehran, Iran
Residency
2015 – State of Salzburg at Künstlerhaus, Salzburg
2014 – Delfina Foundation, London
Born on 1979 in Sari, Iran, Behnam Sadighi received his B.A. degree in Photography from “Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran” in 2008. He also worked as press photographer from 2003 to 2007 for a number of magazines and newspapers such as “Jaam-e-Jam” newspaper, “Culture & Research” magazine, “Sureh” photo agency and “Ayande-ye-no” newspaper. Sadighi‘s works are based on documentary photography and he absorbs his ideas from political-social happenings and phenomena around him. Behnam Sadighi has written two books named “Ekbatan-West of Tehran (2009-Maahriz publications) and “Reminder” (2014-Motorbooks publications) and his works have been published in professional and reputable magazines such as “Aksnameh”, “Herfe Honarmand”, “Aks”, online Italian magazine “Witness Journal” and “Landscape Stories”. He also teaches in universities and institutions.
“The Last Day” is one of Behnam Sadighi‘s collections, which has been ongoing for six years up to now and is being continued. The concept of immigration, which in recent years in Iran has evolved in a special manner, has been deliberated by Behnam Sadighi, a photographer dedicated to meaningfulness. Photos of said collection, which have been taken from a front angle, communicate with the viewer face to face. Subjects of “The Last Day” collection are individuals leaving their homeland, mostly to continue their education, and more importantly for permanent residence, to have a better life and pursue new dreams. In photographer’s view, leaving homeland is mingled with a certain kind of fear: “fear of homecoming”.
Selected Awards
2013 – Winnner of 3rd Magic of Persia Contemprary Art Perize (MOP CAP), London, UK
2012 – 1st prize, 4th Mashhad National Photo Festival, Iran
2011 – 1st prize, 2nd Hamrahan Festival, Rasht, Iran
2010 – Final prize, 3rd Photo Festival of Islamic Azad University, Iran
2009 – 2nd prize, Festival of Iranian Young Cinema Society, Oroumieh, Iran
2008 – 3rd prize, Firouzeh Festival, Tabriz, Iran
2008 – 2nd prize, Black and white Festival, Tehran, Iran
2008 – 3rd prize, Festival of Traveling with Train, Tehran, Iran
2007 – 3rd prize, For Better Life Festival, Tehran, Iran
2007 – 1st prize, Tehran’s Film and Photo Festival of Students, Iran
His work is the documentation of present situations often seeming mundane and ordinary, sometimes with design or as a result of an accident. In these ways, his pursuit to record them is critical, aiming to open up window into the real world.
