This year’s first blog post reconnects to one of our returning galleries: Va Space. Regarded by many as an interesting artists’ initiative from Isfahan, Iran. We asked founders Mona Aghababaee and Samira Hashemi three quick questions!   

In connection to Supermarket 2016 Mona wasn't able to get a visa since she hasn't got any children. Will she apply this time? Last time it stood quite clear that one of the terms was having children, and thereby a strong connection to Iran.

Our priorities in such programs have always been 'collaboration' and 'mutual understanding' and we find both parameters as forces in moving forward steadily and with focused energies. We believe that parenthood and its connotations should not be taken into account while evaluating professional qualifications. If the Swedish embassy were to process visa requests more professionally and carefully, without forcing its employees to come up with superficial justifications and excuses, it would only evaluate the applicant based on their request and its requirements. An artist, curator, arts manager, or any person involved in cultural activities, aims to create dialogs and establish deeper understandings, and would not otherwise apply for a visa in such context. If they were to seek asylum in a Western country, you are fully aware that channels far more effective could be thought of and followed.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you plan to show at Supermarket 2017?

Va in Supermarket 2017 is about the occasion of Va at Supermarket 2016.

This year's theme is Intimacy. Can you recall a specifically intimate art experience?

There were many occasion when a series of works show a narrative like some of the works together create a story that we can connect to.They create dialogs with each other, and the dynamic of that dialogue resembles something in our own life, thus deeply and intimately affecting us.