Book + Banisadr Book Club | Sound + Composition

Book + Banisadr Book Club | Sound + Composition In conjunction with Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist, the MFA is proud to introduce the Book + Banisadr Book Club, a three-part literary program that invites participants to immerse themselves into the complex, turbulent worlds of Banisadr’s works through the lens of contemporary fiction that mimic the artist’s practice in both chaos and composure. Held in partnership with Book + Bottle, a beloved local independent bookstore and wine bar, each session will focus on a thoughtfully selected book that echoes the figurative illusions rooted in autobiographical narratives, sonic recollection, invented stories, world history, collective memory, and mythology embedded in the imagery of Ali Banisadr’s work. Through this one-of-a-kind pairing of literature and art, historical themes will be reexamined against the dreadful, real, and unreal stories we tell ourselves. Each session will feature a specially paired wine and will be carefully facilitated to bridge the artworks in the exhibition to the relevant and resonant conversations shaping our society today. This month’s selection, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, is an award-winning, genre-bending novel that follows interconnected lives across time, exploring music, memory, and the deeply human pursuit of meaning, redemption, and connection. Ali Banisadr is gifted with synesthesia; otherwise separate senses are linked – in this case color and sound. This ability translates into abstract landscapes rendered in vibrant colors, a trait that links him to the art of Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), who also experienced synesthesia. The restless surfaces of Banisadr’s paintings juxtapose competing sensibilities, setting areas of orderly, precise brushwork against energetic, gestural ones. As indicated in the title of the exhibition, the artist sees his paintings as an attempt to understand the innate chaos of the world. They do not reflect any specific conflict but rather express universal turmoil. Book + Banisadr Book Club | Sound + Composition Thursday, July 2, 2026 6:00 PM–8:00 PM Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL 33701 $25 for Members; $35 for Not-Yet-Members TICKETS Tickets include program and 1 glass of wine. Additional wine available for purchase. Not yet a member? Become a member today and enjoy all the benefits membership at the MFA offers! MFA Members enjoy free admission for an entire year, early access to special exhibitions, discounts at the MFA Shop and Café Clementine, special member-only exclusive events, and more. Bring the whole family! BECOME A MEMBER About Book + Bottle Book + Bottle is a bottle shop, an independent bookstore, a coffee café, and a wine bar all rolled into one exquisite little package. They have the most passionate, friendly, and helpful team in town to help you choose a book or a bottle or to take care of you and your friends on your night off. They’re an independ...