‘Gate of Words’ by German artist Philipp Geist is lighting up the Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran (Photos)

A performance consisting of projections of light titled ‘Gate of Words’ by German artist Philipp Geist is taking place at Tehran’s landmark Azadi Tower until October 5th.

The installation artistically visualizes the topics of freedom, peace, space and time in different languages. During the performance Azadi Tower is to become a three-dimensional light sculpture that can be crossed by visitors.

‘I tried to illustrate words one by one to make the reader pay more attention to them. Sometimes, words are legible and sometimes not. Using this method, I make great attempts to make each and every reader have his/her own interpretation of the subject,’ said the German artist.

Facts about Azadi Tower
– It is one of the most familiar landmarks of Tehran.
– The builduing includes a cultural centre with a library, a museum and several art galleries.
– The entrance of the tower is directly underneath the main vault and leads into the Azadi Museum on the basement floor.
– The main display is occupied by a copy of the Cyrus Cylinder (the original is in the British Museum).
– The monument acts as a grandiose gateway to the Iranian capital, and is surrounded by a large plaza (approx. 50,000 m²).
– Built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, this “Gateway into Iran” was named the Shahyad Tower, meaning “Kings’ Memorial”, but was dubbed Azadi (Freedom) after 1979. It is 50 meters (164 ft) tall and completely clad in cut marble.

Sources: Mehr News Agency, ISNA, IRNA, Borna News, Instagram @videogeist, Tavoos Online, Wikipedia | Azadi Tower

2 thoughts on “‘Gate of Words’ by German artist Philipp Geist is lighting up the Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran (Photos)

  1. Connie

    Thank you for sharing this. I saw pictures about this someplace else but I really appreciate reading the article and learning more about the project. Too bad it is a short term project. I think it is stunning and would love to see it for myself when I go back to Iran. By the way, I love reading all of the interesting posts about Iran. Great job!

    Reply

Leave a comment