Picasso birthday performance
Producer: Ali Safar Dastgerdy
Wirtten and directed by: Ojan and Joubin Zargarbashi
Date: Autumn 2000
Place: Tehran - Iran

This was a performance to commemorate the 119th anniversary of Pablo Picasso's birthday.

This event took place in the 'Free Art Studio' (in Farsi 'ATALIE HONARE AZAD') that was a studio dedicated to the practice of figurative drawing. Everybody could enter the place and draw from a human model. This was up to our knowledge the first such studio in Tehran and also the longest lasting among the others that came about later. In September 2001 the management of the studio and two of the regular artists were looking for ways to expand their activities to a new realm. This was when the seed of Picasso birthday's performance was planted - it was due to be born in one month!

The idea was to incorporate various elements of Picasso's artworks into a plot in which, in addition to the performers, the audience could also play a role.

There were a lot of speculation about the place in which the event would take place. After exhausting all the possibilities, the only remaining place was the atelier itself. Although the space of the atelier was limited, it had its own advantages. It was a known location to he public and the artists had full control and open hands to modify it the way we liked.

After some of the aspects of the performance became clear, some preparations were made. All the windows of the atelier were covered to create a dark environment where the lighting could be controlled and changed. The wide windows facing the garden were covered with reflective material and were painted with instances of Picasso's paintings especially the ones that were about to be used in the performance.
While the preparations was being made, the plot of the performance was also being shaped. Based on the plot several masks and dolls were made. Proper lighting was installed and music tracks for the performance were chosen and if necessary edited.

The performance
The audience were asked to bring their own masks, preferably made based on the personages or objects from Picasso's artworks. Their first encounter with the performance would be in the waiting lines where they could see their reflection on the revealed mirror behind the paintings facing the garden.

During the performance the audience would go through 4 scenes. Each of the scenes were designed to reflect a certain feeling and atmosphere resembling sidderent stages of life.

Creation
From their waiting line in the garden, the audience would be invited in the atelier where they were faced with an actor playing the role of Picasso himself. He tries to recreate/create his artworks while arranging the audience. Inspired by this role playing the audience would start to make their own formations and acts. Things go on in a way that may continue for all the duration of the performance. But that is not the plan.

Life/happiness
The next stage starts when the lighting changes. While the ambient light is reduced a spot light is formed over a group of three musicians (a live replica of Picasso's 1921 Three Musicians) who play a joyful music bringing happiness to the audience.
The audience is served with empty plastic cups. The cups that have phosphoric paint in the inside soon become a part of the acting of the audience.

Fear/anger
The music suddenly stops, the normal lights go off and ultraviolet lights are turned on. Although the darkness, the UV illumination and the accompanying music creates a spooky environment, the audience is partly distracted from the new atmosphere amazed by the illuminating plastic cups when suddenly a scream is heard. A frightened figure (taken from Picasso's 1937 Guernica) runs through the audience and finds sanctuary in a corner.
The figure is followed by a giant soldier who finds his way between the crowd by pushing people aside and threatening the audience with his gun. The soldier (that is a giant doll inspired by one of the soldiers in Picasso's 1957 Massacre in Korea) finally spots the frightened figure and guns him/her down. The dead figure's mask falls on the ground and the soldier takes his leave.

Despair/death
Still under UV light and from where the soldier has disappeared a figure with a bull skull (inspired by Picasso's 1942 Still Life with Steer's Skull) emerges. While interacting with the audience and bellowing from time to time the bull slowly approaches the dead body figure. After arriving to the body, the bull collects the ropes that are already connected to the figure and starts dragging him/her through the audience. After bull and the figure disappear, the lights are turned on and the performance is finished.

Reception
During the three nights the performance was held for nine times. Whit each session there was an improvement in the performance and thus the last day of the event was the most complete and fulfilling.

The reception of the event was very positive especially between the artists. It was regarded as very creative, avant-garde and very effective in conveying the feelings and its message. This was first such event in Iran and in many different aspects (to the best of our knowledge) would remain the only one.