Amin Yousefi
Eyes Dazzle as they Search for The Truth

On Wednesday, August 6, at 5:30 p.m., Amin Yousefi’s solo exhibition Eyes Dazzle as they Search for The Truth will open at the Vilnius Photography Gallery (Stiklių St. 4, entrance from Didžioji St.). The exhibition is presented as part of the “Restart” (2024) competition, showcasing the winner’s individual work.

How could the sound of a 35mm camera shutter attract the attention of a protestor in a crowd? As if the photographer used a megaphone to say, “One, Two, Three, Cheese...“ and some participants gazed out of the atmosphere to stare at the camera. I want to find my suspects like a detective among the revolutionaries of Iran in 1978-1979. The Iranian revolution stands as a paramount milestone in the Middle East over the past five decades, exerting multifaceted ramifications that have reverberated throughout the region. This project highlights individuals who looked out from among the masses at a crucial moment in history and stared into the lens of a camera. The photographer is usually the one who is in control of the image being captured. The photographer chooses the mise-en-scène by choosing their position. The anticipated relationship has been reversed in these photographs, as the photographer was influenced by the crowds and the eyes that turned towards the camera. As if the subject and object had exchanged places. This reversal of roles had a significant impact, as the people themselves took on the task of capturing the image with their gaze rather than the camera turning towards them. Photographing through a magnifying loupe provided an allegory for extracting photographs of the revolution and bringing them to the present moment. The magnifying loupe acted as a bridge that connected me to the revolutionaries. It seems that their gaze has been waiting for my eyes for decades, filtering through a multitude of lenses and eyes before reaching me. They wanted to be recorded in history by a camera, and I tried to honor their desire for immortality.

Amin Yousefi was born in 1996 in Abadan, Iran, and holds a Master’s degree in Photography from the University of Westminster. He currently lives in London and works as a visual artist, writer, and researcher. His work has been featured in several group exhibitions and awards. In 2024, he was named a winner of both the Foam Talent Award (Amsterdam) and the Restart competition.