The Aga Khan Museum's latest exhibition is a must see for everyone in Toronto

You’re going to want to see this.

The Aga Khan Museum‘s latest exhibition is not only a world premiere, it’s also a game changer.

Whether you’re an art aficionado, a cultural enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates different sides of beauty, the launch of Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians is a must-attend.

The exhibition showcases intriguing art from 23 contemporary Iranian artists, and will run until June 4.

As well as being enriched with culture, the exhibition confronts prominent societal issues. You’ll discover how politics, gender, and religion are explored through mechanisms of quiet rebellion, humour, mysticism, and poetry – the four strategies after which the exhibition gets its name – as you walk through the gallery.

#NowOpen at the Aga Khan Museum! “Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians” presents works by 23 artists from Iran and its diaspora. Selected from the private collection of @MohammedAfkhami and on public display for the first time, the variety of works in the exhibition, ranging from painting and sculpture to silkscreen prints and photography, illuminates the many identities of today’s Iranians — identities previously unseen by the West. At once challenging and meditative, humorous and eye-opening, #ContemporaryPersians provides a multidimental portrait of Iranian art in the 21st century. Learn more at agakhanmuseum.org. #AgaKhanMuseum #ContemporaryPersians #MohammedAfkhami #Toronto #Art #ContemporaryArt #exhibition #Iranianart

A post shared by Aga Khan Museum (@agakhanmuseum) on Feb 4, 2017 at 2:35pm PST

One of the most important collections of contemporary Iranian art in the world is the Mohammed Afkhami Collection, made up of over 300 works. Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians features 27 works of art from the collection – starting from the 1990s to the present day.

“We can recognize that the artistic output of a nation is a mirror image of the attitudes that pervade that society (the title of the exhibition does conjure up that mirror image). The Aga Khan Museum seems to have engaged with such a program and is helping the world to understand different perspectives. It is an honour to participate in this program as I believe differing viewpoints can only refine and redefine contemporary societies,” says Artist Shirazeh Houshiary, who has two works in the exhibition.

Exhibitions at the Aga Khan Museum like Contemporary Persians aim to encourage to dialogue, bridge exchanges of ideas, and promote tolerance and mutual understanding amongst people.

Rokni Haerizadeh/Aga Khan Museum Facebook

“Despite the sanctions, isolation, and political unrest characterizing Iran in this millennium, the creative forces of Iranian artists have not been dampened. The narratives presented in the exhibition are woven out of genuine obsession and eloquent resilience. This is not the first exhibition on the subject, but it is the first to cast these artists and their works in light of their fortitude,” says Dr. Fereshteh Daftari, curator of Contemporary Persians.

All of the works in the exhibition are on loan from the private collection of Iranian-British financier Mohammed Afkhami until the exhibition closes in June.

To find out more information about the exhibition, its related programming, and the Aga Khan Museum follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — and share your visit using the hashtag #ContemporaryPersians.

Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians

Where: 77 Wynford Dr, North York, Ontario
When: Open now until June 4
Price: $20, can be purchased online. Free each Wednesday between 4 and 8 pm