2022

In her photos, the Iranian photographer Forough Alaei portrays above all the young people who have been protesting in their thousands on the streets against the rulers of the Islamic Republic for weeks. The generation that experienced neither the Islamic Revolution nor the Iran-Iraq war and simply has the desire for a free and self-determined life.

Almost half of Iranians are under 30 years old, unemployment among them is high, although many of them - including many women - are well educated. Rampant corruption, repression, mismanagement, Western sanctions and, not least, the Corona pandemic have left tens of thousands impoverished.

Young people have experienced conservative governments as well as reform governments; none of them has brought real change. The political elite is not renewing itself: the old, religious men who have ruled the country for decades have lost the trust of the young generation - indeed of the entire population - over the years.

The photos in the exhibition provide a glimpse behind the public scenes and show private moments of joy, light-heartedness and happiness of the young adults and families who feel united by the hope for a better future in their country.

Born in Tehran in 1989, Forough Alaei began taking photographs professionally in 2015 and worked as a photojournalist for Donya-e-Eght-esad, the country's best-known business newspaper. Her photos focus mainly on social issues and women's rights. In 2019, she won first prize in the sports category at the World Press Photo Award with her reportage on football-loving women in Iran. Her work is published in various international newspapers and magazines (Paris Match, Time, The Guardian, NZZ, Amnesty International, De Vokskrant, among others). Instagram: @foroughalaei Instagram: @foroughalaei