Between Light & Time: Immersive Art Experience

Between Light & Time, BONGEREH’s debut exhibition, opened in East London on April 27, 2025. The event marked the launch of a cultural platform committed to storytelling, heritage, and collaboration, offering visitors a space where art, memory, and migration intersect. This exhibition laid the groundwork for BONGEREH’s ongoing campaign Home Beyond Borders, which explores home, identity, and the experiences of marginalized voices.

Entering the Space

Guests were welcomed with tea from Persian Blends, a mother-and-daughter project that treats tea as a symbol of hospitality and connection. The warmth of this ritual set a reflective tone before attendees moved into the artworks themselves.

Experiencing the Art

The exhibition flowed in waves. Contemplative works by Darya Hassaninezhad, Sahar Vatanz, and Nastaran Tavakkoli invited viewers to consider displacement, the cyclical nature of life, and the intimate evolution of the human spirit. Hanieh Yavari’s photographs highlighted wordless gestures of care across generations, while Bahareh Safa used fallen leaves and mixed media to explore memory, personal growth, and overlooked beauty. Nastaran Damirchi and Nadi Setoudeh captured transitional spaces and the tension between belonging and loss.

Live Performance

At 5 PM, Maliheh Zafarnezhad transformed old objects into new works and created additional pieces from scratch, highlighting the intersection of childhood memories and identity through performance.

Digital and Screen-Based Works

Digital works connected London to Iran. Mo Sayyar, UK-based, explored the balance between life and death. Mohammad Sorkhabi, Sepideh Bazzazi, and Sepideh Rafiee, all working from Iran, presented their works digitally, engaging with memory, personal and cultural histories, and the imaginative possibilities of creativity.

Bridges of Emotion

Rasool Ahmadi framed the act of passing and transferring as a bridge reconnecting lost or archived emotions. Nasim Danaee captured longing and divine love through calligraphy, while Kasra Bordbar’s video work reframed the body as a site of intimacy, reflection, and pleasure.

Sound as Experience

The space was sonically shaped by Soma People, whose frequency grounded visitors, creating an immersive flow that carried them from one experience to the next.

Connecting Threads

Maryam Akhbari explored transformation, nature, and identity, while Sepideh Rafiee’s works celebrated the uniqueness of imagination. Throughout the evening, visitors engaged actively: creating collage, moving through installations, and participating in conversation, bridging art and lived experience.

The Founder’s Vision

Founder Tannaz Mirjalili closed the evening with a speech, thanking guests and sharing that BONGEREH had long been a dream. She acknowledged her team in Iran and the UK highlighted that BONGEREH serves as a platform for dialogue, connection, and collaboration across borders, extending far beyond the presentation of art.

Conclusion

Between Light & Time was an immersive, participatory exhibition where heritage and innovation converged. Through performance, digital works, photography, installation, and sound, BONGEREH created a space where memory, migration, and belonging could be felt, reflected on, and shared. More than a viewing experience, it marked the beginning of an ongoing journey in cultural storytelling and shared connection.