The study of art history can lead to the perception that the subject of all painting is, in some form or another, an internal discourse on the lineage of painting that precedes it. This thinking is more in line with Hegel than how painters think about their work, which calls into question its efficacy. Sometimes however, as in the case of the exhibition Ali Banisadr: Temple of the Mind at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the framework is revelatory. This exhibition, co-curated by the artist and the museum’s collectors curator Holly E. Hughes, boldly and astutely situates Banisadr’s art history reference-laden oil paintings and bronze sculptures in the curatorial context of the AKG’s exceptional permanent collection.
Image: Installaton view, Ali Banisadr: Temple of the Mind, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, 2026
Photo by Amanda Smith, courtesy of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum
