Book + Banisadr Book Club | War + Apocalypse

Book + Banisadr Book Club | War + Apocalypse 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, The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali, is a poignant novel of love, loss, and fate set against the backdrop of 1950s Tehran, following a young couple whose lives are forever changed by political upheaval. Drawing on childhood experiences of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) in his native Tehran, where explosions and other aural disturbances were commonplace, as well as his extant synesthesia, Banisadr painstakingly and intuitively builds complex compositions that exude a vitality at once turbulent and celebratory. In 1988, Banisadr left Iran with his family at the age of twelve, first reaching Turkey and then San Diego, California. While living in San Francisco, he became involved with the local graffiti art community while studying psychology. He later moved to New York City where he earned a BFA at the School of Visual Arts (2005) and an MFA at the New York Academy of Art (2007), and he continues to live and work in Brooklyn, NY. Book + Banisadr Book Club | War + Apocalypse Thursday, May 7, 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 frien...