The Lady of the Harbour
From the series "Constructing Deconstruction"

This work was added to the Arts of One World collection in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sharing the Museum program.

Having lived in a region marked by political unrest, Iranian-born Montreal artist Bahar Taheri conveys a vital message here. The box presents a new perspective on the world; looking through the perforations, we view different parts of a painting on the back surface of its interior. The image features a reconstruction of Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours church, Tehran’s Emamzadeh Saleh mosque and Prague’s Jubilee Synagogue. By merging houses of worship for the world’s three monotheistic religions in the same painting, the artist gives them new identities open to interpretation. The mirrors produce the effect of blending the buildings together, confusing sightlines and reinforcing the artist’s plea for unity.