Freight and Salvage is pleased to facilitate the creation and presentation of WOVEN VERSES: Poetic Resistance and Resilience, sung by Iranian born sisters Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat. The project features new compositions by Mahsa Vahdat and arranged by Atabak Elyasi, inspired by Mahsa’s life in exile, her deep belonging to her motherland and her dedication to preserving and reviving Iranian music. The music is based in interwoven classical and contemporary Persian texts. This project activates voices from past and present, weaving a vibrant collage of text and music and visuals connected to the rich tradition of Persian carpets. Musicians are from Armenia, Palestine, Turkey, Iran and the US .

Through this project, Mahsa bridges the gap between past and present, celebrating the enduring spirit of Iranian music and offering a voice to the diaspora.

Collaborating artists: Naseem Alatrash, David Balakrishnan, Deidre Charlene, Ara Dinkjian, Greg Ellis, Atabak Elyasi, and Tamer Pinarbasi.

Created with funding from a Hewlett Foundation 50 Arts Commission.