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128
Siah Armajani, Panje Tan, 1960

Chapter: Seelenfenster - Gesture, Movement, Cipher

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Art that connects
Siavash Armajani, who grew up in Tehran and emigrated to the United States as a young man in 1960 following the consolidation of power by Shah Reza Pahlavi, was an architect, artist, philosopher, and mathematician. He became known primarily for his architectural sculptures and installations in public space, which take the form of bridges, pavilions, or hybrid architectural structures. His clear, linear constructions in steel or wood explore themes such as community, coexistence, and the experience of exile. They often serve a practical, everyday purpose. In 1988, he designed the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge in Minneapolis, connecting two neighborhoods that had previously been separated by a highway.

Like a sacred stele
In light of this minimalist and conceptual body of work, one may ask how his early calligraphic works relate to it. This is also the case with Panje Tan from 1960. Covered with a delicate ornament of characters, the narrow, tall canvas resembles a sacred stele. Its context is closely tied to Armajani’s biography.

Resistance
Raised in a wealthy and liberal family, he was introduced early to Persian literature and poetry as well as to Western philosophy. The writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman were particularly important, as they are regarded as co-founders of American democracy. As a teenager, Armajani became involved with the National Front, an alliance founded in Iran in 1949 that advocated for national independence and the nationalization of the oil industry. Bringing together liberal, nationalist, and social democratic forces, the group opposed the Shah but was suppressed from 1953 onward.

Spiritual remembrance and reverence
His early calligraphic work is already shaped by a vision of democracy, spirituality, and secularism. In Islam, the term “Panjtan” refers to the five most sacred figures of the Prophet Muhammad’s family, who are deeply venerated in Shiite Islam as well as in Sufism. This tradition has produced a wide range of specific calligraphic forms that serve spiritual remembrance and devotion. In schools and mosques, they help children and believers memorize the names of the Prophet’s family.

Language as space
Armajani’s work has a meditative and repetitive quality that also plays a central role in American Minimal Art. At the same time, he gives calligraphy a literal pictorial space on the canvas. In an interview, Armajani describes language as a space in which Persian culture can exist, and poetry as the essential language of being. In this sense, the work can be seen as a precursor to his later spatial and sculptural practice. As part of his early oeuvre, it marks the beginning of his ongoing engagement with poetry, philosophy, and art in public space, as well as his commitment to democratic ideals.


Audio

Note: The audio transcription is voiced by an AI.

Siah Armajani, Panje Tan, 1960
Ink and gesso on canvas
© Estate of Siah Armajani
Written Art Collection

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