by Olivia Noss // Apr. 3, 2026
‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring’ is a group show curated by Anahita Sadighi and presented in her eponymous gallery. The multi-sensory immersive experience—the opening of which coincided with the Persian New Year, Norouz, and the vernal equinox—celebrates renewal and new beginnings through the eyes of six artists, in a vibrant array of works that span painting, photography, installation and sculpture. With this show, Sadighi honors the traditional while welcoming the contemporary, offering new possibilities for what the Persian New Year ritual might look like, in a public space.
‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring,’ 2026, installation view at Anahita Sadighi Gallery // Photo by Roman März
Entering the gallery, delightful smells and flavors fill the air. Gaja Vicic’s floral installation springs from the ground: lilies burst out from the center of the floor, extending from a base of delicate ferns and moss. Her piece proposes a whimsical interpretation of Haft-sin, a traditional table arrangement of seven symbolic objects that reel in good fortune for the year to come. Unlike the conventional practice of this ritual, which situates these items on a table, Vicic’s piece takes on a more organic, intuitive approach by constructing this arrangement on the ground. Red apples—a symbol of beauty and good health—punctuate the arrangement with bright pops of red. A tail of moss extends from the work, and at its end sits a plate of sprouts called Sabzeh, signifying rebirth.
‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring,’ 2026, installation view at Anahita Sadighi Gallery // Photo by Roman März
Meanwhile, experimental food artist and chef Caique Tizzi’s edible arrangement from lavashak, also known as fruit leather, invites visitors to become participants in this Muslim ritual. Tizzi cuts the material into large amber and crimson strips that hang languidly across two metal wire arches. The leather pieces are reminiscent of textiles hanging to dry in the sun, their deep oranges and reds filtering the natural light through the window. Sumac sits at its base, another significant symbol and ingredient common in Iranian and Middle Eastern food, meant to communicate life and vitality.
The accents of Sumac in Tizzi’s piece echo Vicic’s second installation, which appear like a sumac ‘Spiral Jetty’—an unwitting homage to Smithson’s land art construction. The crimson red spice trails the floor in a spiral formation, gesturing to eternity and the cyclical nature of time. At the spiral’s center sit another three apples, balanced vertically upon one another. At its other end, a cornucopia of garlic, another symbol of well being.
‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring,’ 2026, installation view at Anahita Sadighi Gallery // Photo by Roman März
In a similar fashion, Dieter Detzner’s reflective sculpture functions as an alternative to the mirrors frequently featured in Haft-sin rituals to encourage self reflection. His piece is abstract and industrial in size, nearly spanning from floor to ceiling. Sadighi’s placement of this work alongside those of Vicic stretches the possibility of what a Haft-sin arrangement can look like. Its vastness in size could call for a reflection beyond the individual, for humanity more broadly.
Circling the gallery, an ornamental arched window hangs in the center wall behind these pieces, gilded splendidly on either side by two gold candle holders mounted on the wall. The other side of the L-shaped gallery space features works with more contemporary approaches: two vinyl sculptures cut in geometric patterns planted in either corner of the room. Large photographic prints render abstract geometric formations that seem to guide the eye back and forth from these three dimensional forms. Hamid S. Neiriz’s portraits from the 1970s blend the human figure with architecture, his subjects shot in relative darkness, with light projections of building facades flooding their faces. The result is a calm darkness, their eyes always closed yet searching, their heads turned away in contemplation. These portraits provide a stark contrast to vibrant shocks of color throughout the space, and encourage introspection in a more poetic fashion than the more literal approach of the mirror. This interplay between traditional Islamic-Arabic aesthetics, paired with contemporary approaches to faith-based practice, create an interplay that speaks to imminent cultural shifts.
‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring,’ 2026, installation view at Anahita Sadighi Gallery // Photo by Roman März
‘Let us Believe in The Dawn of Spring’ prompts its audience not towards a fictive reality, but towards a potential one. Given the global state of uncertainty, these works nourish in more ways than one—in the way that beauty can nourish the soul, and in the way that food can nourish a community. The immersive sensorial experience of the show angles us towards what is valued within Iranian culture and Persian culture more broadly: food as a means for connection and building trust, and faith as a celebration of life. Harnessing the spirit of spring, the works encourage a dwelling in the possible—a note of hope for what could be and what’s to come.
Exhibition Info
Anahita Sadighi Gallery
Group Show: ‘Let Us Believe in the Dawn of Spring’
Exhibition: Mar. 13-Apr. 25, 2026
anahitasadighi.com
Schlüterstraße 16, 10625 Berlin, click here for map
