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Toronto Biennial of art
 Precarious Joys
Curators : Dominique Fontaine and Miguel A. López
September 21 to December 1, 2024 
https://torontobiennial.org/ 


1- Pourquoi devrais-je m’arrêter ? (Why should I stop?) (2020-21) is a video installation shown across two screens. The work pays tribute to the resilience of Iranian women who defy the ban on practicing Varzesh-e Bâstâni in public, a traditional form of athletics. Leila highlights the women’s bravery using a video montage made from social media posts. Adding historical depth, she integrates a poem by Forugh Farrokhzad and shows solidarity by filming herself in a small space within the wooded area near her home in Montreal. The spaces’ octagonal shape is reminiscent of a ‘Zoorkhane’ (house of strength), a traditional gymnasium where varzesh-e bastani is practiced by men, yet forbidden to women.

Leila Zelli, Pourquoi devrais-je m’arrêter? (Why should I stop?), 2020–21. On view at 32 Lisgar as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art, 2024. Co-presented with MOMENTA Biennale de l’image with the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Photography: Toni Hafkenscheid.
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2- Un chant peut traverser l’océan (A chant can cross the ocean) (2023-ongoing) is an in-situ stamp work on the wall which features protesting Iranian women. The artist created this work amid global demonstrations for Iran. Each artistic element reflects the chant “Woman, Life, Freedom” and meditates on women’s fight for freedom, the courage of disobedience, the collective power of uprising, and the magnitude of sacrifice. This in-situ work suggests marching with them.

Leila Zelli, Un chant peut traverser l'océan (A chant can cross the ocean), 2023-ongoing. On view at 32 Lisgar as part of the Toronto Biennial of Art, 2024. Co-presented with MOMENTA Biennale de l’image with the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Photography: Toni Hafkenscheid.
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