Archives are Hot! – 'Seven Portraits – Unbound' exhibition tour

Join us for an exhibition tour with Dr. Sofi Basseghi,  actor and performer Salme Geransar and Curator Linda Short for Seven Portraits – Unbound (2025).

Seven Portraits – Unbound is a multichannel video installation that explores notions of freedom expressed by Persian-speaking female poets across the past millennium, interpreted through performance.

Drawing on and reimagining Nizami Ganjavi’s Haft Peykar (Seven Portraits) and 16th-century Persian miniature illuminations of this tale from the State Library of Victoria’s collection, the work weaves fact and fiction to reflect on women’s voices in history while resonating with contemporary socio-political contexts.

This tour is a collaboration between Next Wave and CAST for Archives are Hot! Artists in the Archive – a two-day program of workshops, talks and activations.

This tour commences at the Redmond Barry Statue in the State Library Victoria forecourt.

Dr. Sofi Basseghi

Dr. Sofi Basseghi is a visual artist and researcher of Iranian/European heritage based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her multidisciplinary and collaborative art practice examines contested histories within political and poetic landscapes, informed by Persian poetry, mythology, and folklore. Her work predominantly revolves around narratives, both imagined and factual, arising from the complexities of the cultural, religious, and social climates people find themselves in.

Sofi has been the recipient of numerous grants, awards, scholarships, and fellowships. Her work has been exhibited at film festivals, museums, and galleries both nationally and internationally, including the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and Museum of Australian Photography. It is also held in private and public collections, including the State Library of Victoria. She is currently a Lecturer at the School of Art at RMIT.

Next Wave

Next Wave is a leading not-for-profit arts organisation dedicated to supporting early-career artists working across multiple art forms. Next Wave plays a defining role in the Australian arts landscape by empowering and advocating for early-career and experimental artistic practice in Australia.

This event is part of Next Wave's ALL School programming. ALL School is an artist-led learning program designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and idea swapping.

CAST

CAST produces art research that critically engages with social and public spheres with a particular interest in how artistic practices intersect with issues of equity, access and democracy.

Photo by Peter Foster

Accessibility

The Seven Portraits - Unbound Exhibition Tour will commence at the Redmond Barry statue outside State Library of Victoria, continuing into the State Library of Victoria. It’s a 45-minute journey delivered at a slow pace. These areas are wheelchair accessible. 

Artists in the Archive is supported by City of Melbourne