A nostalgic and evocative portrait of modern Iran
- Text by Zoe Whitfield
- Photography by Sébastien Cuvelier
Belgian photographer Sébastien Cuvelier is drawn to man-made utopias. In 2017, he paid three visits to Iran over ten weeks, a place where people are “deeply romantic and flowers are everywhere,” he says. Each time, he stayed with new acquaintances, while producing a photo book entitled Paradise City – a celebration of modern Iran.
“I travel a lot, and I’ve rarely received such a high level of hospitality,” says Cuvelier, speaking about his trips to Iran on a call from his home in Luxembourg.
While the photographer was unfamiliar with the country beyond portrayals in the media, the project stemmed from a place of intimacy. Cuvelier found a journal belonging to his uncle, who had died some years before and had travelled to Persepolis in 1971. Almost immediately, he wanted to find out more about Iran.
“It put something in my head,” he explains. “My uncle was a student, 20 or 21, and around that time Iran was very much in the news – they had these celebrations for the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. At some point, I thought, ‘I’m going’.”
Although Cuvelier’s initial resource was his uncle’s 1971 travel itinerary, the photographer wanted to form his own relationship with the country. So, he travelled solo, and took pictures in lieu of his uncle’s writing.
In Paradise City, Cuvelier curates a conversation. He publishes his uncle’s observations of the country before the 1979 revolution, alongside his own images, oscillating between past and present.
“What struck me in Iran, was that you could feel how much of an in-between space the country was in,” notes Cuvelier. “There was something moving, like trying to run after a train that’s going full speed. I thought if I do the project for too long, I’m going to miss all those things that are going to change. So I saw this very much as a snapshot, which I thought was fitting because my uncle’s trip was the same.”
This urgency, he continues, was informed by the intensity he felt on his visits. “Because I was travelling alone, sleeping in people’s houses, even if I was resting at home there was something to see, to say, to talk about. It was an incredible time.”
Cuvelier spoke to Iranians on the ground and those in Europe about their experiences, which ultimately shaped the project. “Obviously it’s my pictures, so it’s very subjective,” he says. “But I wanted it to be, somehow, what they see. I felt this responsibility to show part of their brain.”
Paradise City is out now on GOST.
Follow Zoe Whitfield on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
On the set of ‘La Bamba’, lost Latino legend Ritchie Valens’s biopic
The overnight rockstar — The Chicano rock & roll star exploded overnight in the late ’50s, but just as quickly he was gone, killed in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly. An ’80s biopic saw him immortalised on the big screen, which photographer Merrick Morton captured behind the scenes.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Louis Theroux’s ‘Manosphere’ shows men aren’t the problem, platforms are
No Ws for Good Men — The journalist’s new documentary sees him dive headfirst into the toxicities and machinations of the male influencer economy. But when young creators are monetarily incentivised to make more and more outrageous content, who really is to blame?
Written by: Emma Garland
In the 1960s, African photographers recaptured their own image
Ideas of Africa — An exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art explores the 20th century’s most important lensers, including Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé and Kwame Brathwaite, and their impact on challenging dominant European narratives.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Reynaldo Rivera’s intimate portrait of queer Latino love
Propiedad Privada — Growing up during the AIDS pandemic, the photographer entered a world where his love was not only taboo, but dangerous. His new monograph presents inward-looking shots made over four decades, which reclaim the power of desire.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive
Save the stands — With Huck 83 hitting shelves around the world, we met a few people who continue to stock print magazines, defying an enduringly tough climate for physical media and the high street.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
