Movements & Concepts

The word Saqqakhaneh comes from the Persian term for public water fountains, small shrines often decorated with talismans, metal plaques, ribbons, locks, and symbols of devotion. Saqqakhaneh emerged at a moment when Iran stood between rapid modernization and the weight of its own cultural memory. European modernism dominated the art academies in Tehran, and even…

The word Hurufiyya comes from huruf ! The Arabic word for letters. Artists adopted this name in the mid-20th century to signal something clear: They were building a new modern language rooted in the structure of the Arabic letter itself. Hurufiyya emerged as Arab artists sought a modern visual identity that did not depend on…