“ONCE THERE WAS, AND ONCE THERE WASN’T: STYRIAN FOLK TALES FROM THE SILK ROAD”
by Maryam Mohammadi
“Once there was, and Once there wasn’t” is an exhibition project that brings together a collection of folktales told by migrant women from countries along the ancient Silk Road and illustrated with photographs by contemporary female photographers.
As part of folklore, fairy tales, regardless of where they are told, retain a unique cultural identity that becomes a legacy passed down through generations and countries. At the same time, according to the authors, fairy tales represent a living, universal network of fiction that has always transcended borders, generations and social classes. The project was originally conceived as an online format, but as part of the exhibition at the LM KULANSHI ART gallery, it is being presented for the first time in Central Asia in the form of a mini-exhibition. The exhibition features eight folk tales from different countries, including Kazakhstan, India, Georgia, Spain, and others. Maryam Mohammadi (born 1979) is a photographer, curator, and art historian from Graz, Austria. She was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She has participated in international projects, festivals, and residencies, curated exhibitions, and authored academic publications. She is the recipient of the City of Graz Award for her contribution to art and outstanding achievements. Maryam's works are a place for negotiation—between tradition and transformation, between the intimacy of lived experience and the public space of political discourse.
About the Artist
Maryam Mohammadi, born in 1979, is a photographer, curator, and art historian from Graz, Austria. She was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She has participated in international projects, festivals, and residencies, curated exhibitions, and authored academic publications. She is the recipient of the City of Graz Award for her contribution to art and outstanding achievements. Maryam's works are a place for negotiation—between tradition and transformation, between the intimacy of lived experience and the public space of political discourse.