A Draft on Nazly Abbasi’s Solo Exhibition: The Aged Buttons

Written by Javid Ramezani

The discourse of objects possesses diverse aspects, as Baudrillard explores in The System of Objects. He examines these dimensions, referring to the transformation of their function and their reintegration into the cycle of consumption as a tendency to create distinction and a technique for acquiring cultural capital.

Mythologizing and elevating objects from their functional roles to symbolic realms is a path that has been systematically theorized in contemporary art and employed by artists.

In Nazly Abbasi’s exhibition, we encounter three segments: first, an installation of buttons scattered on the floor; second, a realistic, vintage photograph that visitors interact with by attaching old buttons using adhesive—a participatory act that creates a valuable artwork chosen by the audience.

Alongside these, the central segment includes numerous frames—collages of buttons integrated into images, alongside stitched patterns mounted on the walls. These elements evoke multiple interpretations of the photo-collages.

A remarkable highlight of this exhibition is the enthusiastic response from the audience, evidenced by their willingness to purchase the works. This is particularly striking given the economic hardships, reflecting the aesthetic impact of these photo-collages on the contemporary art audience.

Another notable feature is the presentation of frames with refined and beautiful designs, showcasing the artist’s profound understanding of her visual language.

Abbasi has worked to strengthen the symbolic system of the punctum in these old photographs, elevating the status of the objects within a psychological reading.

The button itself is a unifying element in human attire, symbolizing a desire to reinforce intersubjective systems in the face of the current crisis of values in Iranian society.

Throughout their lives, people accumulate many objects—some fulfilling primary needs and others secondary. Buttons cater to primary needs but, once garments wear out, they are detached and collected in bags for potential reuse. Women, particularly, engage with these objects, and in the sewing kits of our mothers, we witness the collection of these items, anticipating a day when they might prove useful.

In this way, each button carries the weight of memory for these women, becoming a hidden symbol of numerous recollections. Abbasi seeks to unveil this latent sign system. Indeed, within these objects lies an extensive narrative of a family’s history.

Consider that our everyday objects are subject to whims, desires, and the drive for private ownership. They are a form of emotional investment paired with human passion, which lends balance to collective human life and existence.

The garment purchased with enthusiasm, gifted by a beloved, or bought for a child—all these emotions are silently stored within the buttons.

With remarkable insight, the artist revisits and reminds us of these concepts, illustrating that these hard objects carry meaning for the lives of women, reflecting the past and providing significance for them.

Valuing these objects—buttons—implicitly references the primal human right to choose their existence, starting with the choice of attire. This reflects economic power, social class, and a wealth of sociological values that offer exciting opportunities for field research.

It must be acknowledged that the strongest force in the display of old buttons, in terms of the audience’s aesthetic experience, is their nostalgic appeal.

This nostalgia is heightened by the selection of vintage photographs, avoiding images of the contemporary world.

The extent to which nostalgia functions in our social context is beyond the scope of this text, but evoking mixed feelings of sorrow and joy for past objects and situations fosters self-esteem and hope. Writers such as Marcel Proust, in their portrayal of past situations, sought to halt time and induce catharsis.

In literature, authors and poets like Baudelaire, Hugo, and contemporary writers like Kundera extensively employ this technique to evoke aesthetic pleasure in their audiences.

In cinema, Andrei Tarkovsky is regarded as a master of this memory-driven technique. His film Nostalgia seeks to explore the sentiment of nostalgia in an artist.

In the current state of Iranian art, where the medium of photo art is experiencing stagnation, and with the focus on conceptual art and rational perspectives, Abbasi’s exhibition represents a courageous and noteworthy movement. It signals the emergence of a new generation of photo artists.

Abbasi’s focus on emotions and her interventions in old materials point toward the importance of history and its reinterpretation.

The manifestation of such artists significantly contributes to the expansion of Iranian art, standing in opposition to commercially dominant media.

Meanwhile, some artists repeat their works and exhibitions for twenty years merely to sustain their market, circulating like nomads in various galleries.

Undoubtedly, economic production must meet certain standards and is not prone to diversity. Repetitive films of this kind never saturate the sublime sentiments of history.