August 4, 2014

Dear Minister Baird:

First of all, I would like to thank you very much for your prompt attention and your concern about my artwork Shahr-e-Farang.

Thanks to your help, peace and calm has been brought back to our home and now I hope that I can tranquilly continue my artistic research and creation with total concentration.

As you may know, my artwork has now been kept in the cargo warehouse of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport since June 30, 2014 and I am now required to pay for the storage at the rate of $105 per day from July 2, 2014 through today. It is a large amount of money that I have absolutely no ability to pay.

What happened in the past month has not only caused a month of delay for exhibiting my art piece, but also cost me a lot of money.

I also have to wait another few days for my art to be released because of the $3,500 that I have to pay to cargo. As you may know, I am an independent artist and I have very limited resources.

I am also very worried about the situation in which my artwork has been kept. I am unsure of the condition of the piece. Maybe my fragile piece is damaged because of humidity, so it needs to be repaired.

Having called the cargo office the other day, I was told that they cannot promise me anything and I am very worried. The reparation of the piece can also add up the total cost of the storage fee.

The days are passing, the storage cost is increasing day by day and my artwork is in danger. Given the fact that I respected the sanctions' legislation, now I would humbly request that if you could please help me in this way?

Once again, I thank you for your time and consideration. I wish you a beautiful summer day.

Sincerely,

Sadaf Foroughi

 

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July 23, 2014

Dear Minister Baird:

The world of an artist, regardless of politics and political game playing between governments, is a world of imagination and creativity.  Such a world is focused on what can be brought into being rather than what can be demolished.

The world of an artist, as the maverick filmmaker Jafar Panahi has eloquently put it, “is marked by the interplay between reality and imagination.” The artist “uses reality as his inspiration, paints it with the color of his imagination, and creates an artwork that is a projection of his hopes and dreams.”

The sad reality is that, as of this writing, there are just five more days before my hopes and dreams are crushed.  My artwork, Shahr-e-Farang, to which I have dedicated two years of my life, has been kept from seeing the light of day by CBSA for the past 24 days and is now at risk of destruction at the Montreal Customs.

In these sad and stressful days, the only thing that keeps me confident is that nothing can confine my creative imagination.  In my creative mind I am still shaping an imaginary world without any geographic, ethnic, and ideological barriers, where people live together freely and peacefully.

I imagine a time when artists will create without any limitations, share their feelings and passions with people around the globe without fear of interrogation regarding their art or remain worried that their creation may be confiscated for whatever reasons.

I imagine a world in which inquisition and intimidation of an artist anywhere on earth will be replaced by freedom and freethinking.

I am still strong and hopeful. I hope that my creation will be released soon. I hope to showcase it in Canada this year and I hope one day my imagination can see the light of day. And as John Lennon sings, “I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.”

Regards,

Sadaf Foroughi

 

Related Articles:

Quebec filmmaker wins customs fight over Iran artwork – but at a price – The Globe and Mail - Aug. 01 2014

 

Artist’s work may be destroyed by CBSA due to Iran import ban – The Globe and Mail – Jul 16, 2014

Montreal filmmaker battling with CBSA over confiscated art – CTV News – Jul 18, 2014

آیا گمرک کانادا 'شهرفرنگ' هنرمند ایرانی را تخریب می‌کند؟ - بی بی سی فارسی - ۲۰ ژوئيه ۲۰۱۴ - ۲۹ تیر ۱۳۹۳

Petition:

(Revised on August 7, 2014)

We, the undersigned, urge the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs the honourable John Baird, and the Canada Border Services Agency to take the necessary steps in order to release Sadaf Foroughi’s artwork, Shahr-e-Farang, as soon as possible, before it is disposed by the Canada Border Services Agency.

As you may know, Ms. Foroughi’s artwork has now been kept in the cargo warehouse of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport since June 30, 2014 and she is now required to pay for the storage at the rate of $105 per day from July 2, 2014 through today. It is a large amount of money that she has absolutely no ability to pay.

We are also very worried about the situation in which her artwork has been kept and unsure of the condition of the piece.

Ms. Foroughi is clearly the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding and her creation has been retained in violation of the relevant regulations and without any clear explanation since June 30, 2014.

Her piece is an independent, personal creation for a cultural purpose, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. It is without any commercial value, and should be respected as the personal property of the artist.

The days are passing, the storage cost is increasing day by day and Ms. Foroughi’s artwork is in danger. Given the fact that she is respected the sanctions' legislation, we would respectfully ask for your help and assistance in order to solve this problem.  

Continuing this situation is a violation of artists’ cultural rights and liberties. We believe that curtailing the freedom of one artist, means limiting the freedom of all artists around the world.

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(Draft Date: 23/07/2014) 

We, the undersigned, urge the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs the honourable John Baird, and the Canada Border Services Agency to take the necessary steps in order to release Sadaf Foroughi’s artwork, Shahr-e-Farang, as soon as possible, before it is destroyed by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Ms. Foroughi is clearly the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding and her creation has been retained in violation of the relevant regulations and without any clear explanation since June 30, 2014. Her piece is an independent, personal creation for a cultural purpose, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. It is without any commercial value, and should be respected as the personal property of the artist.

Continuing this situation is a violation of artists’ cultural rights and liberties. We believe that curtailing the freedom of one artist, means limiting the freedom of all artists around the world.