پژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823Spectatorship, Domination, and the Possibility of Political Theatre: A Phenomenological Reading Grounded in Rancière’s Thoughtتماشاگری، سلطه و امکان تئاتر سیاسی: خوانشی پدیدارشناختی با تکیه بر اندیشه رانسیر72224093310.22083/ssa.2026.568823.1117FAمحمدفرهادیدانشجوی دکتری فلسفه هنر، واحد تهران مرکز، دانشگاه ازاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران0009-0003-6013-6874Journal Article20250605Introduction: An abstract is a brief yet comprehensive summary of a scholarly work, often serving as the primary point of contact between a reader and an academic text. In the context of theatre studies, and particularly political theatre, the abstract plays a crucial role in clarifying not only the thematic concerns of a study but also its theoretical orientation and methodological grounding. This extended abstract addresses the possibility of emancipatory awareness in theatre by shifting the analytical focus from ideological content and declared political intentions to the experiential and phenomenological conditions that constitute the theatrical situation itself. Political theatre has traditionally been evaluated according to its subject matter, critical discourse, or explicit opposition to dominant power structures. However, such approaches often overlook a more fundamental question: how does theatre, as a lived and embodied situation grounded in a structural separation between performers and spectators, shape the conditions of perception, participation, and action? This study argues that the position of the spectator should not be understood merely as a functional or institutional role but as a phenomenological situation in which modes of seeing, hearing, and responding are pre-organized. From this perspective, theatre reproduces relations of domination not primarily through content but through the very configuration of experience it establishes. Drawing on phenomenology-particularly the concepts of being-in-the-world, lived body, and the primacy of perception over representation-the article develops a framework for analyzing theatre as an embodied mode of experience. To articulate the political implications of this experiential framework, Jacques Rancière’s political aesthetics is employed as a complementary perspective. Rancière’s notion of the “distribution of the sensible” enables a social and political reading of perception without displacing the phenomenological grounding of the analysis. The central research question guiding this study is whether theatre, while maintaining its institutional and experiential structure, can genuinely provide the conditions for reciprocal presence, equality, and emancipatory action.<br>Methods: The study adopts a qualitative, descriptive-analytical methodology grounded in theoretical inquiry and critical interpretation. Rather than relying on empirical or field-based data, the research focuses on conceptual analysis of philosophical texts and canonical theatrical theories. Phenomenology, particularly in the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, constitutes the primary theoretical framework for examining embodied experience, perception, and presence within the theatrical situation. This framework is complemented by Jacques Rancière’s political aesthetics, which provides a socio-political translation of perceptual organization and experiential hierarchy. The analytical procedure involves a close reading and critical interpretation of two paradigmatic models of justice-oriented theatre: Bertolt Brecht’s epic theatre and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. These cases were selected due to their central position in the history of political theatre and their explicit claims regarding audience activation, awareness, and emancipation. The analysis examines the relationship between theoretical claims, performative strategies, and the phenomenological configuration of experience produced by each model. By situating these theatrical practices within a shared phenomenological horizon, the study seeks to reveal the structural conditions that both enable and limit emancipatory possibilities in theatre.<br>Results: The analysis demonstrates that despite their divergent strategies and historical contexts, both Brecht’s and Boal’s theatrical models encounter a shared structural limitation at the level of experience. In Brecht’s epic theatre, techniques such as alienation and critical distance are designed to prevent emotional identification and promote rational judgment. However, these strategies ultimately function as mechanisms for organizing perception and guiding spectators’ cognitive responses. The spectator remains positioned as an observer whose engagement is confined to reflection and interpretation rather than embodied participation. Similarly, Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed seeks to dissolve the boundary between stage and audience by transforming the spectator into a “spect-actor.” While this model introduces direct participation and bodily involvement, the analysis shows that such participation occurs within predefined frameworks that regulate when, how, and to what extent intervention is permitted. As a result, participation becomes a guided and simulated form of engagement rather than an open-ended reconfiguration of experience. Across both models, the findings indicate that the theatrical situation remains governed by a pre-structured organization of perception that stabilizes roles and limits reciprocal interaction. Even in their most radical attempts to activate the audience, these practices reproduce a hierarchical distribution of positions that constrains the emergence of genuine equality and emancipatory action at the level of lived experience.<br>Discussion: The results of this study suggest that the fundamental contradiction of political theatre lies not in its ideological content or historical intentions but in the phenomenological configuration of the theatrical situation itself. Theatre, as an institutionally and experientially structured event, relies on the production of the spectator position and the regulation of perceptual engagement. From a phenomenological standpoint, meaningful action and emancipation require embodied presence, mutual responsiveness, and the capacity to transform a shared situation. These conditions are systematically limited by the structural separation and perceptual organization inherent in theatre. When read through Rancière’s political aesthetics, this limitation can be understood as theatre’s tendency to remain within an established “distribution of the sensible,” even when it seeks to challenge domination. Equality, rather than functioning as a presupposition of political action, is often deferred as an outcome to be achieved through pedagogical or participatory mechanisms. Consequently, political theatre frequently replaces the disruption of perceptual order with its controlled rearrangement. This conclusion does not entail a rejection of political theatre or its historical significance. Rather, it calls for a critical reassessment of the claims made on behalf of theatre as a site of emancipation. By relocating the question of politics from representation and intention to experience and perception, the study highlights the necessity of reconsidering how artistic practices organize bodily presence, interaction, and shared space. Only through such a shift can the limits and possibilities of emancipatory praxis in relation to theatre be meaningfully addressed.این مقاله امکان تحقق آگاهیِ رهاییبخش در تئاتر را از منظر پدیدارشناسی و با تمرکز بر مفاهیم «حضور» و «بدنمندی» در موقعیت تئاتری بررسی میکند. مسئله پژوهش از این پرسش برمیخیزد که: تئاتر بهمثابه رخدادی مبتنی بر تفکیک ساختاری میان اجراکننده و تماشاگر، چگونه میتواند شرایط تجربهای برابریخواهانه و رهاییبخش را فراهم کند؟ فرض اصلی پژوهش بر این مبنا صورتبندی میشود که تثبیت جایگاه تماشاگر، نه صرفاً بهعنوان یک نقش کارکردی، بلکه بهمنزله موقعیتی پدیدارشناختی، همزمان به بازتولید مناسباتی سلطهمند منجر میشود و امکان تجربهای مبتنی بر حضور متقابل و تعامل بدنمند را محدود میسازد. در این راستا، مقاله با اتکا به سنت پدیدارشناسی بهویژه مفاهیم «در-جهان-بودن»، «بدن زیسته» و تقدم ادراک بر بازنمایی چارچوبی نظری برای تحلیل وضعیت تئاتری فراهم میآورد. بهمنظور تبیین سویههای اجتماعی سیاسی این وضعیت، از زیباییشناسی سیاسی رانسیر بهعنوان قرائتی برآمده از منطق ادراک و توزیع امر محسوس استفاده میشود، بیآنکه تقدم چارچوب پدیدارشناختی مخدوش گردد. روش پژوهش توصیفی تحلیلی و مبتنی بر مطالعه کتابخانهای است و از طریق تحلیل انتقادیِ دستاوردهای نظری و اجرایی برشت و آگوستو بوآل، بهعنوان دو نمونه شاخص تئاتر عدالتمحور، بسط مییابد. یافتههای پژوهش نشان میدهد که حتی در رادیکالترین تلاشها برای فعالسازی مخاطب، موقعیت تئاتری همچنان بر اساس منطق جداسازی، هدایت ادراک و تثبیت نقشها سامان مییابد؛ امری که با تجربه پدیدارشناختیِ حضور و کنش برابریخواهانه در تعارض است. بر این اساس، مقاله نتیجه میگیرد که تئاتر سیاسی، نه از حیث محتوا، بلکه به اعتبار صورتبندی پدیدارشناختیِ خود، واجد نوعی تناقض درونی است.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_240933_1a94029204ea1db0f9acd25cab04d430.pdfپژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823Analysis of the Three Levels of Meaning in the Miniature “Losing the Ball to Mehr and King Keyvān” Based on Erwin Panofsky’s Theoriesتحلیل سطوح سهگانه معنا در نگارهی«گوی باختن مهر با کیوان شاه» با تکیهبر آرای اروین پانوفسکی233924181810.22083/ssa.2026.573430.1121FAشهلاحبیبی نیادانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد پژوهش هنر دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی نجفآباد، نجفآباد، ایران.0009-0007-2830-8225سید احسانروح الامیناستاد دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی نجفآباد، نجفآباد، ایران.0009-0008-3355-5826Journal Article20250701Introduction: The painting “Mihr Losing the Polo Ball to King Kayvān” represents a significant example of Timurid visual culture, where narrative imagery simultaneously functions as a symbolic system. Previous research has largely focused on stylistic features, historical context, and attribution, with limited attention to systematic iconological interpretation. This study examines how the painting conveys layered meanings through astronomical, mythological, and political symbolism, addressing how visual elements communicate philosophical and cosmological concepts within Panofsky’s three-level iconological framework. The aim is to demonstrate that the work functions not merely as illustration but as a visual discourse on sovereignty, fate, and cosmic order.<br>Methods: A qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach based on library sources, historical chronicles, and studies on Persian symbolism and cosmology was employed. The painting was analyzed through three stages: pre-iconographic description (formal and perceptual features, including composition, gesture, spatial relations, and color), iconographic analysis (motifs interpreted through textual, mythological, and cultural references), and iconological interpretation (synthesizing findings to reveal intrinsic meanings and their relation to kingship, temporality, and celestial determinism).<br>Results: The analysis reveals that the central positioning of the ball, chromatic contrasts, and spatial dynamics structure a symbolic opposition between Mihr and Kayvān, reflecting dualities of luminosity versus limitation and vitality versus restraint. The spherical form and unstable trajectory of the ball encode cyclical motion and the fluctuating nature of power, while costume and spatial hierarchy reinforce distinctions in authority and agency. The depicted game operates as an allegorical model of political legitimacy and the circulation of power.<br>Discussion: The painting visualizes Timurid conceptions of rulership, linking political authority to cosmological order. The tension between figures reflects concerns of succession, stability, and the temporality of power. Iconologically, the work integrates myth, astronomy, and ideology into a coherent visual discourse, demonstrating the value of multi-level analysis for uncovering cultural meanings in Persian painting.نگارۀ «گوی باختن مهر با کیوان شاه» با بهرهگیری از رمزگان نجومی، اسطورهای و تصویری، لایههایی از معنا فراتر از روایت ظاهری خود میآفریند و نمونهای شاخص از ظرفیت مفهومی نگارگری دوره تیموری محسوب میشود. باوجود اهمیت اثر، پژوهشهای پیشین عمدتاً بر جنبههای تاریخی، سبکی و انتساب هنری تمرکز داشته و تحلیل شمایلشناختی نظاممند آن کمتر موردتوجه قرار گرفته است. مسئله اصلی پژوهش حاضر بررسی چگونگی بازنمایی مفاهیم فلسفی، سیاسی و کیهانشناختی در نگاره از طریق زبان تصویر و در چارچوب سه سطح شمایلشناسی پانوفسکی است. هدف پژوهش تبیین ساختار معنایی اثر و آشکارسازی نسبت میان عناصر بصری و مفاهیم نمادین در بستر فکری و فرهنگی دوره تیموری است.روش تحقیق کیفی و توصیفی-تحلیلی و مبتنی بر دادههای کتابخانهای و اسنادی است و نگاره در سه سطح پیششمایلنگارانه، شمایلنگارانه و شمایلشناسانه تحلیل شد تا از توصیف صوری به تفسیر معنای ذاتی اثر گذر شود. یافتهها نشان میدهد که تقابل نمادین مهر و کیوان، همراه با سازماندهی رنگ، جهت حرکت پیکرهها و ترکیببندی مرکزی، بیانگر تنش میان اراده انسانی و نظم کیهانی است و در سطح سیاسی استعارهای از مشروعیت سلطنت، آزمون قدرت و گردش اقبال در گفتمان تصویری عصر تیموری ایجاد میکند. درنتیجه، این نگاره نه صرفاً صحنهای روایی، بلکه متنی بصری است که پیوند میان اسطوره، نجوم و ایدئولوژی سلطنتی را در قالب نظامی نشانهای و معنادار بازنمایی میکند.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_241818_6968261d62fc89d787395130aad70ba7.pdfپژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823A Reflection on the Status of Master and Apprentice in Ancient Iranian Traditional Arts Based on the Opinions of Experts and Historical Documentsتأملی بر مقام استاد شاگرد در هنرهای سنتی قدیم ایران براساس آرای صاحب نظران و اسناد تاریخی415724195010.22083/ssa.2026.557338.1103FAسید عبدالمجیدشریف زادههیئت علمی پژوهشگاه میراث فرهنگی و گردشگری، تهران، ایران.(نویسنده مسئول)0000-0002-1859-3559زهراتقدس نژادکارشناس پژوهشگاه میراث فرهنگی و گردشگری، تهران، ایران0000-0002-2947-1565Journal Article20250610Introduction: The master-apprentice system is the cornerstone of traditional Iranian art education. Unlike modern pedagogical models that focus primarily on technical proficiency, this traditional system emphasizes a holistic transformation of the student. Historically, Iranian arts were transmitted through a chain of masters (Silsila), where the master acted not just as a teacher but as a spiritual guide. This study explores the ontological status of both master and apprentice within the context of Iranian traditional arts, moving beyond a purely historical or technical analysis to understand the metaphysical foundations of this relationship.<br>Methods: The present research is theoretical and qualitative in nature. It utilizes a descriptive-analytical method. Data collection was performed through extensive library research, focusing on primary sources such as Futuwwatnamas (treatises of chivalry), guild regulations, and classical mystical texts (e.g., works of Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani and Aziz al-Din Nasafi). These texts were analyzed to extract the essential qualities and duties assigned to the roles of master and apprentice.<br>Results: The analysis reveals that the master-apprentice system is built upon two pillars: the Authority of the Master and the Service of the Apprentice.<br>The Master’s status is defined by Wilayah (spiritual authority) and Hidayah (guidance). A master must possess not only technical mastery but also moral integrity, compassion, and wisdom.<br>The Apprentice’s status is defined by Khidmah (service). Service is viewed as a means of internal purification, making the apprentice receptive to the master’s “secret” knowledge.<br>The system is found to be “atemporal,” meaning its core principles remained consistent across various dynasties, from the early Islamic era to the zenith of guild organizations in the Safavid period.<br>Conclusion: The findings suggest that the master-apprentice system functions as a sacred bridge between tradition and individual practice. The study concludes that the decline of traditional arts in the modern era is closely linked to the weakening of this master-apprentice bond. Re-evaluating these traditional statuses can offer new insights for contemporary art education, emphasizing the integration of ethics and technique.نظام استاد-شاگردی یکی از بنیادیترین شیوههای آموزش و انتقال معرفت در هنرهای سنّتی ایران بهشمار میآید. این نظام تعلیمی، از آغاز شکلگیری هنرها و صناعات سنّتی، بهعنوان الگویی غالب در تربیت هنرمند، انتقال مهارتهای فنّی و پرورش ساحتهای اخلاقی و معنوی شاگردان حضور داشته و به یک دوره تاریخی خاص محدود نمیشود؛ هرچند در برخی ادوار، بهویژه دورههایی که سنتهای فکری و صنفی مجال بروز گستردهتری یافتهاند، متون و رسائل متعددی در تبیین آداب و مبانی آن پدید آمده است. بازتاب ساختار و مقتضیات این نظام را میتوان بهروشنی در فتوّتنامهها، رسائل اصناف و متون عرفانی-حکمی مشاهده کرد؛ متونی که غالباً با زبانی رمزی و بیانی نمادین به تبیین فرآیند تعلیم و تربیت پرداختهاند. هدف پژوهش حاضر، تبیین مقتضیات بنیادین نظام استاد-شاگردی و بررسی شئون اصلی «مقام استاد» و «مقام شاگرد» براساس آرای صاحبنظران و اسناد تاریخی است. این پژوهش با روش توصیفی-تحلیلی و مبتنی بر مطالعات کتابخانهای و استنادی انجام شده است. یافتهها نشان میدهد که نظام استاد-شاگردی واجد ماهیتی معنوی، حکمی، فنّی و نمادین است و وجود استاد کامل و شایسته، بهعنوان نخستین مقتضای این نظام، نقشی تعیینکننده در شکلگیری فرآیند آموزش دارد. در این چارچوب، ولایت و هدایت از شئون اصلی مقام استاد بهشمار میآید و صفاتی چون علم، عقل، تقوا، شفقت و حُسن خُلق، شرایط احراز این مقام تلقی میشود. در مقابل، مقام شاگرد بر خدمت به استاد استوار است و صفاتی مانند ارادت، صداقت، وفای عهد، صبر، تواضع و ادب، از لوازم تحقق این مقام بهشمار میرود.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_241950_e5c81504fbec8d33a4d53d1d7765e57c.pdfپژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823A Qualitative Interpretation of the Role of Natural Light in the Spatial Perception of Visitors to the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Artخوانش کیفی نقش نور طبیعی در ادراک فضایی بازدیدکنندگان موزه هنرهای معاصر تهران598024123510.22083/ssa.2026.565481.1108FAساراچگینیپژوهشگر دکتری معماری، گروه معماری، دانشکده معماری و شهرسازی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد قزوین، قزوین، ایران.0009-0008-1585-5403Journal Article20250729Introducion: The spatial experience within museums, as the outcome of the complex interaction between human perception and architectural space, has long been a significant subject of scholarly inquiry. Within this context, natural light plays a fundamental role in shaping spatial perception and aesthetic experience. Despite the extensive body of research addressing spatial and environmental components of museum architecture, in-depth qualitative investigations into the role of natural light in shaping spatial perception-particularly within the theoretical framework of Immanuel Kant’s aesthetics as articulated in the Critique of Judgment-remain limited. Adopting a qualitative and interpretive approach, the present study seeks to elucidate both the how and the why of natural light’s influence on spatial experience and aesthetic perception in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, aiming to clarify the relationship between architecture, spatial experience, and aesthetic values in contemporary cultural spaces.<br>Methods: This study adopts a qualitative, analytical-interpretive approach and is designed to elucidate the role of natural light in shaping spatial experience and aesthetic perception within the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, grounded in the theoretical framework of Immanuel Kant’s aesthetics as articulated in the Critique of Judgment. The study focuses on the interior spaces of the museum, with an emphasis on the interaction between architectural organization and natural light. Data were gathered through environmental observation and a review of architectural documents, including spatial layouts and lighting design strategies. To enhance the credibility and reliability of the findings, data triangulation was applied by cross-validating observations and architectural documents, while preliminary interpretations were further reviewed and confirmed through feedback from experts in architecture and the philosophy of art. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis within an interpretive-phenomenological framework, through which key concepts such as aesthetic experience, spatial perception, and interaction with natural light were identified and interpreted in relation to Kant’s Third Critique, allowing for an in-depth exploration of the relationships between light, architectural form, and spatial experience.<br>Results: The study demonstrates that natural light in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art functions beyond a mere environmental or physical element, acting as a perceptual-aesthetic construct that gradually, dynamically, and evolutionarily organizes spatial experience. Analysis within the framework of Kantian aesthetics and a phenomenological approach reveals that engagement with natural light occurs across three interrelated layers. The first layer establishes fundamental spatial perception, enabling orientation, boundary recognition, and the overall organization of space. The second layer encompasses phenomenological perception, in which light modulates the appearance of objects, volumes, and spatial configurations through chiaroscuro, luminous tensions, and temporal variations. The third layer realizes a Kantian aesthetic experience, characterized by the free play of cognitive faculties, disinterested judgment, and a sense of purposiveness without purpose. These layers are causally and developmentally linked, with each level creating the conditions for the next. Furthermore, natural light simultaneously activates three perceptual mechanisms: guiding attention and movement, accentuating phenomenological qualities, and facilitating mental-aesthetic release. By proposing a perceptual cycle of light, the study offers an innovative theoretical framework that positions natural light as an active agent in structuring and enhancing aesthetic experience in museum and cultural spaces, with broader implications for architectural design, spatial organization, and experiential quality in diverse artistic environments.<br>Discussion: Natural light in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art functions not merely as a physical source of illumination but as an active perceptual-aesthetic agent that shapes spatial experience. Analysis within the framework of Kantian aesthetics and a phenomenological approach reveals that engagement with natural light unfolds as a gradual, multilayered, and non-linear process. Initially, light structures basic spatial perception by guiding orientation, delineating boundaries, and organizing overall spatial layout. Subsequently, it generates phenomenological qualities-such as transparency, chiaroscuro, luminous tension, and temporal rhythm-that enrich the perception of objects, volumes, and architectural space. Ultimately, natural light facilitates a Kantian aesthetic experience, characterized by the free play of imagination and understanding, disinterested judgment, and a sense of purposiveness without purpose. Serving as a mediating agent, light simultaneously aligns the appearance of artworks with the spatial configuration, fostering deeper contemplation, prolonged engagement, and a balance between navigation, fluid movement, and aesthetic reflection. The study proposes a three-layered conceptual model that integrates spatial perception, phenomenological experience, and aesthetic realization, highlighting the dynamic interaction between light, architectural form, and perceptual experience. This framework offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for designing natural lighting in contemporary art museums, emphasizing its role as an active contributor to immersive and meaningful spatial experiences.نور طبیعی یکی از عوامل تعیینکننده در شکلدهی تجربه فضایی و ادراک زیباشناختی در معماری موزهها است، بااینحال ابعاد پدیدارشناسانه و زیباییشناختی آن کمتر در پژوهشهای پیشین واکاوی شده است. هدف پژوهش حاضر تحلیل نقش نور طبیعی در تجربه فضایی و تبیین نحوه بازتاب آن در تجربه زیباشناختی در موزه هنرهای معاصر تهران در چارچوب مفاهیم زیباییشناسی در اندیشه ایمانوئل کانت بهویژه در نقد قوه حکم است. بر این اساس، سؤال اصلی پژوهش آن است که نور طبیعی چگونه ساخت ادراک فضایی و تجربه زیباشناختی را در بستر معماری موزه سامان میدهد. پژوهش با رویکرد کیفی و با بهرهگیری از تحلیل مضمون و تفسیر پدیدارشناسانه انجام شده و دادهها از طریق مشاهده میدانی، ثبت نظاممند یادداشتهای میدانی و بررسی اسناد و مدارک معماری گردآوری شده است. یافتهها نشان میدهد نور طبیعی در سه سطح، شامل ساماندهی ساخت ادراک فضایی، شکلگیری کیفیتهای پدیدارشناسانه و تحقق تجربه زیباشناختی کانتی همچون بازی آزاد قوای ذهنی و بیغرضی، عمل میکند و از طریق سازوکارهایی نظیر هدایت ادراکی، برجستهسازی پدیدارشناسانه و تقویت وضعیت تأملی فضا تحقق مییابد. درنهایت، نتایج بیانگر آن است که نور طبیعی در این موزه صرفاً کارکردی عملکردی ندارد، بلکه بهمثابه عاملی ادراکی مسیر توجه، مکث و تأمل را در تجربه فضایی ساماندهی کرده و فضا را به سطحی تأملی و زیباییشناسانه ارتقا میدهد.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_241235_3e0b754eda9cc0d67b6858a00e00b6b7.pdfپژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823Kurdish Carpet as Text: A Poststructuralist Reading of Meaning in the Indigenous Carpet of Koliyaeiفرش کردی به مثابه متن: خوانشی پساساختارگرایانه از معنا در فرش بومی کلیایی8110624108810.22083/ssa.2026.557543.1105FAطیبهامیریاندکتری زبان و ادبیات عربی، کرمانشاه، ایران0000-0001-7841-1182Journal Article20250618Introducion:“The carpet, as one of the most significant visual artifacts of Iranian civilization, transcends its decorative and functional dimensions to become a semiotic field rich in cultural and epistemological meanings. The indigenous carpets of Kermanshah, woven by Kurdish tribes, represent a unique inter textual dialogue between tradition, memory, and creative consciousness. This research situates the Kurdish carpet not as a mere object of ethnographic or aesthetic value, but as a text in the Barthes sense open, plural, and interpretable. By reading the carpet as text, the study seeks to bridge the gap between visual culture and literary hermeneutics, arguing that the carpet, like a literary text, contains semantic layers that invite multiple readings. The Kermanshah carpet embodies a living narrative of local cosmology, collective identity, and the metaphysical imagination of its weavers. Within its warp and weft, the act of weaving becomes an act of writing a silent inscription of cultural memory and existential meaning. This study aims to reinterpret the indigenous carpets of Kermanshah through a poststructuralist lens, exploring how meaning emerges from the interplay of symbol, materiality, and cultural context. The key questions include: How can the indigenous Kurdish carpet be read as a textual phenomenon rather than as a mere artifact? By addressing these questions, the paper aims to reposition the weaver as an authorial subject and the act of weaving as a hermeneutic process, thereby contributing to the interdisciplinary discourse that connects semiotics, visual studies, and literary theory.<br>Methods: The research employs a qualitative and interpretive methodology grounded in textual hermeneutics and visual semiotics. By analyzing specific examples of Kermanshah carpets particularly the motifs known as “Bazooband”, “Toranj lenjabi”, and “Hoseinbadi” the study decodes the symbolic logic embedded in their compositions. These motifs are not approached as ornamental signs but as semantic nodes that communicate the worldview of the Kurdish artisan. The analysis combines close visual reading with theoretical exegesis, drawing parallels between the structural patterns of the carpet and the syntagmatic structures of language. Each carpet is treated as a space where meaning is woven through repetition, variation, and transformation of motifs. The ethnographic dimension of the study also acknowledges the embodied experience of the weaver her gestures, rhythms, and silence as integral to the text’s production.<br>Results: The study reveals that the indigenous carpets of Kermanshah function as complex semiotic systems that encode collective myths, memories, and cosmological narratives. The Bazooband motif, for instance, symbolizes both protection and captivity, mirroring the dualities of power and vulnerability in Kurdish cultural consciousness. The Toranj lenjabi pattern evokes a metaphysical center a sacred geometry of being while the Hoseinabadi motif signifies duality and mirroring, reflecting the philosophical tension between self and other. Through these symbolic structures, the carpet emerges as a site of presence through absence: the weaver’s body disappears behind the loom, yet her subjectivity is inscribed in every knot. The absence of the authorial body paradoxically intensifies its presence in the texture of the work, echoing Barthes’ notion of the “death of the author” as a condition for the birth of the text. Furthermore, the study finds that the aesthetic act of weaving produces a temporal text: meaning unfolds not in linear time but in cyclical repetition, akin to oral storytelling or musical rhythm. The Kermanshah carpet thus becomes an archive of living time a woven memory that resists erasure and reaffirms identity.<br>Discussion: This interdisciplinary inquiry demonstrates that the Kurdish carpets of Kermanshah are not merely objects of beauty or utility but dynamic texts that articulate a philosophy of being, memory, and identity. Through the lens of post-structuralism, the carpet is redefined as an open field of signification in which meaning is neither fixed nor author centered but continuously generated through the interplay of viewer, context, and cultural memory. The research underscores the value of approaching indigenous artifacts as texts living entities capable of discourse thereby expanding the domain of textual studies beyond linguistic boundaries. It also highlights the necessity of integrating literary theory, semiotics, and anthropology to access the deep structures of meaning embedded in material culture. Ultimately, this study proposes that to “read” a carpet is to engage with an ontology of weaving: a dialogue between silence and sign, material and meaning, tradition and interpretation. The Kermanshah carpet, in this sense, stands as both a cultural document and a philosophical text an embodied language of threads that speaks the unspeakable, preserving within its fibers the continuous act of becoming that defines art, culture, and human creativity.بررسی آثار تمدنی همچون متونی قابل بازخوانی میتواند به درکی تازه از میراث نمادین نقشها و نشانهها بیانجامد. در نظریۀ پساساختارگرایی، تولیدات فرهنگی مانند متنهایی زنده، قابل تغییر و چندبعدی هستند و میتوانند دوباره تفسیر شوند. هنر قالی، بهمثابۀ متنی دیداری، عرصهای برای بیان معنا و بازنمایی فرآیندهای فکری و ارتباطی میان بافنده با جهانِ پیرامون و بیننده است. قالی کلیایی، بهعنوان محصولی فرهنگی، واجدِ نقشمایههایی برگرفته از مفاهیم اسطورهای، روایتهای افسانهای وموتیفهایی برخاسته از طبیعت است. این نقشها بستری برای شناخت معرفتشناسی مردمان کرد و الگوی تعامل و استحالههای فرهنگی آنان بهشمار میآید. به نظر میرسد شناخت نشانه معنایی طرحهای قالی کردی بسان یک متن برای مخاطب بهمنظور کیفیتبخشی گفتمان دیداری ضرورت داشته باشد. با توجه به این نیاز پژوهشی، پرسش این است که چگونه مخاطب در ارتباط با قالی کردی نه بهعنوان یک اثر بلکه یک متن، به بازیافت تجارب زیستۀ خود میپردازد؟ روش پژوهش این مطالعۀ میانرشتهای مبتنی بر روش توصیفی و تحلیلی نقوش سه نمونۀ قالی منطقۀ کلیاییِ کرمانشاه است. نتایج حاکی از این است که مخاطب در هر یک از این سه گونۀ قالیکردی نسخهای عینی از نمودهای برآمده از بطن اسطورههای کردی، بازنمودهای محیط طبیعی و ابژههای زندگی مردمان کرد را دریافت میکند. معنای دریافتی از این نمودها با آنچه در متن قالیها ثبت شدهاند تفاوتی را نشان میدهد که تا پیشازاین در حالت تعلیق و یا غیاب بودهاند. لذا مخاطب با جهتدهی یکرشته معناهای جدید مسیر نوینی از معنای قالیهای کردی را بازآفرینی میکند.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_241088_45dc576ef1cec6e9e70b8c8c8272b700.pdfپژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطاتفصلنامه مطالعات هنر2981-250X4220250823Investigating the impact of using generative artificial intelligence tools on the ideation and creativity process of art studentsبررسی تأثیر استفاده از ابزارهای هوش مصنوعی مولد بر فرآیند ایدهپردازی و خلاقیت دانشآموزان هنر10712924195310.22083/ssa.2026.571115.1119FAالهامطاهریانعضو هیئت علمی دانشگاه فرهنگیان تهران، گروه آموزش هنر، تهران، ایران0009-0001-2866-9668Journal Article20250723The emergence of generative AI has presented a fundamental challenge to traditional paradigms of art education. The present study aims to: The emergence of generative AI has presented a fundamental challenge to traditional paradigms of art education. The present study aims to investigate the role of tools such as Midjourney as a “co-creator” in the creative process and analyze its impact on the four components of creativity (fluidity, flexibility, extension, and originality) in art students.<br>This study is a systematic review, conducted by collecting and synthesizing the findings of empirical research published between 2024 and 2026. The sources used include reputable international articles as well as proceedings from reputable conferences in the fields of design and art education. The criterion for selecting sources was their direct relevance to the application of generative artificial intelligence (particularly Midjourney) in art and design education, with a focus on students’ ideation processes and creativity.<br>Research questions: 1. What is the effect of interacting with Midjourney on students’ fluency and mental flexibility scores in the ideation stage? 2. How does the use of generative AI change the concept of “artistic agency” and “originality of the work” in the students’ perception?<br>Findings: The results showed that the use of AI significantly increased the fluidity and visual development in the initial designs (P < 0.05). However, in the “originality” component, the experimental group faced the challenge of “repetition of algorithmic patterns”. The findings emphasize that AI in the idea incubation stage leads to a reduction in fear of the blank canvas and an increase in boldness in experimentation, provided that the art teacher strengthens the role of “curator” and “critic” for the student.<br>Throughout history, technology has always been a tool at the service of the artist; from the invention of the camera that freed painting from the constraints of representing reality, to the emergence of digital software. But generative AI is fundamentally different from previous tools. This technology is no longer a passive tool, but acts as a “co-producer” capable of providing new visual suggestions based on machine learning patterns (Anantrasirichai & Bull, 2022: 11-19). For art students who are in the process of forming a personal style and learning ideation skills, encountering tools like Midjourney or DALL-E can be both inspiring and paralyzing. The main question of this research is whether the introduction of AI into the art classroom broadens creative horizons or slows down the process of mental effort of the student by providing ready-made solutions? Also, what is the impact of using generative AI tools (Midjourney) on the components of fluidity, flexibility, and expansion in students’ creativity? How does interacting with AI as a “co-producer” change the traditional design process (sketching) among students, and does dependence on AI outputs lead to a decrease in intuitive understanding and visual problem-solving skills in students?<br>The main objective of the research is to explore the impact of interacting with generative AI on the quality and speed of visual ideation in art students. Also, examining the difference between the originality of works produced with AI and traditional methods and analyzing changes in students’ creative self-confidence after using generative tools are other secondary objectives of this research. This research is of a mixed type:<br>Quantitative part: Using a quasi-experimental design. 60 students are divided into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group uses Midjourney for idea generation to design a poster with a single topic, and the control group uses only traditional methods (brainstorming and hand sketching). Qualitative section: Content analysis of in-depth interviews with students and professors about the experience of “agency” while working with artificial intelligence.<br>The data from the pre-test and post-test were analyzed using SPSS software version 27. To compare the mean scores of the two groups and ensure that the improvement in creativity was due to the independent variable (Midjourney), the analysis of covariance test was used. Given the nature of the use of artificial intelligence, two ethical principles were observed:<br>Transparency: Students were required to attach all steps of changing the prompts to the work.<br>Property rights: Students were taught how to avoid directly copying the style of living artists. The concept of co-production: In classical theories, creativity was considered a purely human trait. However, with the emergence of “computational creativity”, the concept of “distributed agency” was introduced. Boden (2004) believes that creativity is the ability to combine new ideas in a way that is valuable. Artificial intelligence is defined in this article as a “random but intelligent agent” that plays the role of the “creative other” in the student’s ideation cycle.ظهور هوش مصنوعی مولد، پارادایمهای سنتی آموزش هنر را با چالش بنیادین مواجه کرده است. این ابزارها از یکسو فاصله میان «ایده» و «اجرا» را کاهش داده و دامنه تخیل هنرجویان را گسترش میدهند، اما از سوی دیگر، استفاده بدون راهبری از آنها میتواند به الگوریتمی شدن ذهن هنرجویان منجر شود. استفاده راهبردی از هوش مصنوعی مولد مانند میدجرنی در فرآیند آموزش هنر، با تقویت مؤلفههای چهارگانه خلاقیت میتواند باعث جلوگیری از الگوریتمی شدن ذهن هنرجویان گردد. پژوهش حاضر باهدف بررسی نقش ابزارهایی مانند میدجرنی بهعنوان همتولیدکننده در فرآیند خلاقانه و تحلیل تأثیر آن بر مؤلفههای چهارگانه خلاقیت (سیالی، انعطافپذیری، بسط و اصالت) انجام شده است. این مطالعه مروری نظاممند، با گردآوری و ترکیب یافتههای پژوهشهای تجربی از مقالات معتبر بینالمللی و مجموعه مقالات کنفرانسهای حوزه طراحی و آموزش هنر صورت گرفته است. دو پرسش اصلی پژوهش عبارتاند از: ۱. تعامل با میدجرنی چه تأثیری بر نمرات و انعطافپذیری ذهنی دانشآموزان در مرحله ایدهپردازی دارد؟ ۲. استفاده از هوش مصنوعی مولد چگونه مفهوم «عاملیت هنری» و «اصالت اثر» را در ادراک هنرجویان تغییر میدهد؟ نتایج نشان داد میدجرنی اگرچه فرآیند ایدهپردازی را تسریع و تنوع بصری تولیدات را افزایش میدهد، اما تأثیر معناداری بر نمرات نهایی و نوآوری دانشجویان ندارد. عمیقترین تأثیر این فناوری، تغییر درک دانشجویان از هویت هنری و اصالت آثار است؛ آنها بیش از نگرانی از جایگزینی شغلی، به حریم خصوصی، مالکیت فکری و عاملیت خلاقانه خود اهمیت میدهند. همچنین نگرش اولیه دانشجویان نسبت به هوش مصنوعی، عامل تعیینکنندهای در اثربخشی این ابزارهاست.https://ssa.ricac.ac.ir/article_241953_e82d84c69eae034f733059fc00b4cf6e.pdf