Celebration at Persepolis

The party of the 20th century

Described as an “anthropologist of the avant-garde,” Michael Stevenson investigates the mythology that surrounds renowned and controversial events which have been significant in the spheres of both art and politics.

Stevenson revisits the site of an infamous week-long party held in 1971 by the Shah of Iran among the ruins of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis. Reconstructing part of the temporary architecture built for the celebrations (itself now a ruin), Stevenson looks at this pivotal moment in Iranian history which led toward the subsequent cultural revolution.

In June 2007 Stevenson exhibited a reconstruction of one of the guest tents in its current state, at actual scale, at Art Basel 38. The publication is an expanded version of this Basel presentation. The project effectively returns this structure to Europe, but now as folly.

Published with Arnolfini, Bristol.

The publication is part of the series of artists’ projects edited by Christoph Keller.

Awarded in the competition “The most beautiful Swiss books 2008.”