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Face of the day: Anahita Sadighi – a trailblazer beyond the world of art.

"I see my galleries as vibrant places where people come together and experience art in completely new contexts," said Anahita Sadighi. The young curator from Berlin is more than just an ambassador for creativity. Take a closer look at Sadighi and it is immediately apparent that she is a cosmopolitan spokeswoman moving between cultures, generations and times. In an interview with Avoury, this inspirational woman talked about the extraordinary idea behind her galleries, her commitment to young artists and her own highly individual view of art.

"Dialogue is paramount for me,"

said Anahita Sadighi, who was born in Iran in 1988. This is also the reason why the young woman embarked on a new venture about a year ago: in 2018, Sadighi opened Anahita Contemporary, her second art gallery in Schlüterstraße in western Berlin. Here she exhibits expressive, contemporary art from Germany, the Middle East and Asia. Her first gallery, Anahita – Arts of Asia, focuses on ancient works of art from the Far East, such as hand-woven carpets and Japanese woodblock prints. Sadighi deliberately chose this combination of old and new; for her, it constitutes an important foundation of life. She gets something from being involved with both these two artistic directions: "Traditional art forms are timeless. They are of great importance, which is often forgotten. However, as a young gallery owner I am also interested in contemporary, modern art. I seek to combine cultural heritage with something completely new."

Art as a source of mutual exchange.

Sadighi, who grew up in Berlin, lives out her innovative approach to the full in her galleries. Here the art expert has created a place for special cultural events. On evenings like Poetry Night, she recites poems from Persian or Arabic literature herself. "I do this to create insight into the different cultures in Berlin," said Sadighi. This is important to her, especially because of her own cultural background.

The art lover also creates interaction in the digital world. When time allows, she works on an app: "The aim of Artlokator is to bring together a new generation of people who are interested in art and to make information about artworks quickly available," explained Sadighi. This is yet another area in which her great strength is manifested, namely that of networking people through art.

Time to forge her own way.

Sadighi has had a love of art since birth. Her father is a respected art collector who once had his own gallery in Berlin. Studying Islamic art in London and working as a gallery manager for the Art Dubai art fair reinforced her desire to become a curator. "It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to establish my own gallery with my own agenda," explained Sadighi. This is a bold step that brings with it a great deal of responsibility. But she was not daunted by the road to self-employment. On the contrary: "I never wanted to pursue a traditional, conventional roadmap for my life. I'm an adventurous person and it tickled me to build something of my own," said the gallery owner. "I never approach a job half-heartedly. When I commit to something, I invest all my love and passion in it."

"When gallery owner and artist come together, a special synergy is created."

In her contemporary art gallery, Sadighi works hand in hand with other artists. Many of the young people that Sadighi promotes are female artists – and she has come up with new exhibition formats especially for them. As a woman, it is very important to her that women support each other. "I want to create a space in which artists can work together, in which they have a sense of freedom and independence. I'm aiming to shape new structures in the art world that will be around for a long time." This is important to Sadighi: "Not just because they are women, but because as artists, they are at least as good as men."

Her artists explore topics such as identity, dynamics and the effect of materials, colours and shapes. "It is incredibly exciting to immerse yourself in the world of creative people whom you enjoy. When gallery owner and artist come together, a special synergy is created from which important projects emerge," said Sadighi. One of her most important tasks is to find promising talent, to promote them and market them. It is with great pleasure that she supports young people with a scholarship. The Artist Residency programme gives them the opportunity to work in Sadighi's galleries in Berlin for a month and arrange their own exhibition.

"Tea has an invigorating side."

Sadighi finds inspiration for her work in pursuing her diverse interests. In addition to art, this includes music, literature, theatre and film. On her travels, she immerses herself in the worlds of other cultures and also draws on their culinary experiences there. When Sadighi visits her home country, she loves to drink tea – in Iran, the drink has a special status. "I grew up with it," said the young woman. Tea is traditionally enjoyed with your family or with guests – at breakfast, for example, or in the afternoon with dates or sweet treats: "For me, tea has an interpersonal component, an invigorating, consciousness-enhancing side." She is particularly keen on making the versatile facets of her favourite drink accessible to the younger generation. Sadighi therefore regularly hosts evenings in the gallery during which young people gather to prepare and drink tea together. This idea is further proof that Sadighi is a unique, inspiring woman who sets new standards beyond the world of art. With her mindset, she creates an unprecedented view of things and imbues them with an entirely new meaning. We are in awe of the inspirational nature of this creative curator and we are sure that this is not the last we'll hear about her.

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