Letters to the Art World

In an age where technology connects us instantly, we can’t help but feel more distant than ever. The art world, once rooted in personal exchanges, thoughtful conversations, and tangible encounters, now feels increasingly digital and fragmented.

I created the Bisheh Project from a deep need for connection a need I felt personally as an artist navigating today’s art world, often in silence. After years of feeling unseen, I longed for a slower, more human way of reaching one another. Through this project, I invite artists and art professionals to write letters to the art world, to its future, to their younger selves, or to anyone who needs to hear their words. These letters will be published and, most importantly, physically mailed to Bisheh Project members. Unlike an email or a social media post, a letter is something tangible you can hold in your hands. It carries weight, both literally and metaphorically.

The Bisheh Project is about stories. It’s about the challenges anyone in the art world faces along the way. It’s about amplifying diverse voices and creating a sense of belonging within the art world. At its heart, it’s about forging connections that feel personal and meaningful.

In a time when distance seems to define us, a letter has the power to bring us closer.

Why “Bisheh”?

In Persian, Bisheh refers to a place covered with dense, untamed woodland, rich with trees and undergrowth. But in Persian literature, it is far more than just a patch of wilderness. Bisheh is where seekers retreat into silence, where mystics wander in search of truth, and where the wild offers both danger and revelation.

Untamed and symbolic, Bisheh evokes a hidden space beyond order, a place of spirit, solitude, and transformation.

Negin Mahzoun

Founder and Curator