Soli Kiani: Hope Moves History Towards Freedom

In the midst of Soli Kiani's spatial installation at the Dominikanerkirche Krems, the artist meets Florian Steininger, Director and Curator, for a dialogue about her exhibition  "Soli Kiani. Hope moves History towards Freedom“.

An ensemble of abstract fabric and rope sculptures, complemented by photorealistic drawings on canvas, addresses human rights violations in Iran. The atmosphere of the former monastery church, with its wall paintings, lends the installation a unique symbolic power.

Stele-like sculptures receive us in the nave, as if waiting for us to join a demonstration. To these vertical forms in varying sizes and colours, the artist has given the identities of people who have campaigned for human rights in Iran. Some have lost their lives, been imprisoned or tortured. Beyond this memorial, drawings leaning closely together against both walls of the choir evoke resistance and reveal scenes of intimacy, but also of loss. As a hopeful conclusion, the apse holds a painting flanked by two sculptures: a female body shedding the burqa – an image of self-determination and liberation.

Soli Kiani was born in Iran. She has lived in Vienna since 2000, where she studied at the University of Applied Arts.

This dialogue is also the first event organised by Rania Sid Otmane, our new coordinator for Austria. We look forward to welcoming her together with you. Join us!

Programme

14:45 Registration
15:00 Guided dialogue with Soli Kiani and Florian Steininger
16:30 pm Informal networking gathering at the café

The event will be held in German.

Online registration required by 15 October 2026. Please use the "REGISTER NOW" button.

Participation

Regular fee: EUR 20.00 / person
Sculpture Network members: EUR 10.00 / person
Payable in cash on site.

Included: organisation and dialogue. Not included: museum ticket (exhibition and collection) and refreshments. Please remember your individual subscriptions and discounts. The ticket is valid for the Dominikanerkirche, museumkrems and galeriekrems at Körnermarkt 14, 3500 Krems.

Meeting point: entrance of the Dominikanerkirche

Contact

This dialogue event is organised by Sculpture Network coordinator and curator Rania Sid Otmane.
If you have any questions about the event or registration, please contact Rania or info@sculpture-network.org.

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