Artist previews first solo exhibition ‘Memory Stone’ at The Lowry

Sci-fi, Iranian mythology and the British countryside – here’s what to expect in The Lowry’s latest exhibition, Memory Stone.

Originally from Tehran and now based in West Yorkshire, Nikta Mohammadi is an upcoming artist who is debuting her first ever solo exhibition at The Lowry this week.

I had the pleasure of viewing the exhibition which she has described as a form of “visual poetry”.

The exhibition mainly consists of a film installation which explores dreams and displacement within the context of the British countryside.

Her work reflects on her own and other migrants’ psychological and physical relationship with land and place. Admirably, Nikta has drawn inspiration from migrants in the UK to add a sense of realism to her work.

Nikta commented: “In the development process I was keen to talk to other people with similar experiences to get a wider perspective of these kinds of interactions with the countryside, how do these people see themselves in this space?

“It can be quite unwelcoming when you’re not from there, it can feel a little bit strange. So I was keen to have these discussions with a bigger group.”

She particularly took inspiration from the Doosti group, which is a Farsi-speaking refugee and asylum seeking group for women based in Salford. Through Memory Stone, Nikta aims to recreate the shared memories and “imprints that migrants create on foreign lands.”

Nikta added: “Memory Stone is an attempt at turning an internal landscape into an external one. It is a dialogue with fleeting geographies, one that is far and one that is near, and the process of bridging the two gives birth to a new place. I am eternally grateful to all my collaborators and participants whose love and labour brought this work to life.

“Being able to think about myself in this space is something I’m really excited to explore more.”

Nikta’s choice to set the piece in the British countryside is an excellent decision as it creates a sense of displacement. The themes of Iranian mythology in the piece clash purposefully with the unlikely backdrop.

Overall, I think Nikta and the composer/actor Babak Mirsalari have created a stunning visual piece that is laced with symbolism and is open to interpretation.

The Memory Stone exhibition is on at The Lowry in MediaCity from March 23 until May 5.