Monument Zero

Monument Zero emerges from International Women’s Day on 8 March 1979 in Iran. The archival materials that form the starting point depict six days of protests, sit-ins, and conferences that began on this day in Tehran. These historical objects have been preserved by the mercy of their creators, who were present during the 1979 protests, and are scattered across personal and public holdings worldwide. By bringing together the materials that depict this forgotten history, Monument Zero counters historical erasure and explores the preservation of political struggles through collective artistic practice.

The presentation of Monument Zero on 8 March 2025 marks the 46th anniversary of the International Women’s Day protests, and launches the project’s eponymously titled publication, published by Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons and edited by Niloufar Nematollahi and Jose Rosales. It includes previously untranslated historical materials presented in English for the first time, alongside contributions from writers Shirin Karimi and Elaheh Soroushnia, and visual essays by artist Meshkat Talebi.