SAVARI – an illustrated journey through Iran & India

Bianca Tschaikner schafft eine mit Fragmenten orientalischer Wirklichkeiten durchwobene Fantasiewelt und erzählt ihre Geschichte im Kontext verschiedener Kulturen eines ewig faszinierenden Orients.

SAVARI ist das Skizzenbuch der Vorarlberger Künstlerin und Illustratorin auf ihrer Reise durch den Iran und Indien, ein persönlicher Reisebericht voller Skizzen, visuellen Momentaufnahmen, Gedichten und Notizen, der vom Alltäglichen im Exotischen erzählt: Von operierten Nasen im Iran, Kuchenbacken in Shiraz, der Granatapfelernte in iranischen Dörfern, von Begegnungen in märchenhaften Moscheen, vom Whiskeytrinken im indischen Dschungel und anderen Abenteuern.

SAVARI ist eine vielschichtige Dokumentation einer persönlichen Geschichte in der Form einer Reise; gleichzeitig erzählt es als Reisebericht indirekt von den politischen Umständen und dem kulturellen Umfeld, in dem diese Reise stattfindet. Das Allgemeine spiegelt sich in der persönlichen Perspektive, das Reale spiegelt sich im Imaginären, jahrtausendealte Kulturen spiegeln sich in flüchtigen Skizzen.

"In October 2014, I traveled through Iran for one month with the mission to fill up my sketchbook with impressions and stories that would capture the spirit of a mysterious and magical country. I wished to seek inspiration in its fascinating culture that goes back thousands of years, and at the same time explore a country that nowadays is regarded with much controversy and prejudice. It turned out to be the most ambivalent journey I had ever taken: As a woman who was traveling alone, I experienced many difficulties and even threatening situations. But soon, I found myself in a fascinating world full of architecture and art so stunningly beautiful that I could not take my eyes off of it; What I found in Iran seemed different from everything else I had seen before: It was a world full of beauty, art and poetry, where old persian poets are still worshipped, and where people actually enjoy reciting poetry on every occasion. A world full of magic and inspiration, full of mystery and beauty, inhabited by the most hospitable and refined people I had ever met. It was something I could not have imagined actually existed before. It was a world that profoundly touched me. There was inspiration everywhere. I sketched in tea houses, in rose gardens, in mosques, in courtyards, on bazaars, sitting on the kitchen floors of new friends. And while the story of my journey evolved in my sketchbook, I was fascinated with how much interest my book aroused amongst the people I met there, how they carefully leafed through it, how thoroughly they studied every single page, and how thoughtfully they commented on it, and the enthusiasm with which they told other people about it, and how delighted they were when they finally became part of the book themselves.It was kind of a singular experience. My book became everybody’s book. It went through so many hands, connected me with so many people, and this is one of the most beautiful memories I have about Iran. This is why it makes sense for me to make art.I continued to sketch about my journey when I moved on to India, finding plenty of new inspiration between the jungle and the sea."

Language: English / German