Writing Human Rights in Clay: From Cyrus to the Refugee Convention

Sun Apr 26 2026 at 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm UTC+01:00

Gallery of Modern Art | Glasgow

Glasgow Museums
Publisher/HostGlasgow Museums
Writing Human Rights in Clay: From Cyrus to the Refugee Convention
Advertisement
A workshop led by the artist Iman Tajik as part of Refugee Festival Scotland
About this Event

Led by artist , this 2-hour participatory workshop invites people of all ages and backgrounds to explore ideas of human rights, displacement, borders, and remembrance through working with clay.

The session will begin with a brief introduction connecting the Cyrus Cylinder (539 BCE), a clay inscription from the Persian Empire often associated with early ideas of humane governance, to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention.

Participants will then create clay tiles that may be incorporated into a new artwork by Iman Tajik called The Remembrance Wall / The Wall of Loves, which has been commissioned by Scottish Refugee Council to mark the 75th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention and which will be presented in June in Glasgow as part of Refugee Festival Scotland.

The workshop will provide also an opportunity to reflect on belonging, memory, and refuge today, as participants consider the relevance of the Refugee Convention today.


Iman Tajik is an Iranian artist based in Glasgow. His work is anchored in a strong social interest and demonstrates an effort to make work that is a critical tool connected to international movements for social change. Tajik’s work addresses issues of contemporary conditions of life with a particular focus on migration and globalisation – thereby bridging the gap between art and activism, to create work as a form of socio-political currency, addressing power structures.

Iman’s practice involves photography, moving images, sculpture, installations and performance. Through these various mediums, he ’performs the border’ stressing the right to freedom of Movement and the need to resist barriers and boundaries; including those that create a divide between self and others.

Inspired by personal experiences of crossing geographical borders and socio-political barriers, through his work Iman stresses the need to recognise those social and political barriers that favour of some but not all.

http://www.imantajik.com


Commissioned by Scottish Refugee Council for Refugee Festival Scotland 2026

Hosted by GoMA

Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland


Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Tickets

GBP 0.00

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Glasgow

Monty Don: A Journey Through British Gardens
Sun, 26 Apr at 01:00 pm Monty Don: A Journey Through British Gardens

SEC Armadillo

Spring Tea Under A Willow Tree
Sun, 26 Apr at 01:00 pm Spring Tea Under A Willow Tree

Mackintosh at the Willow

Creative Writing Workshop: How to Write Stories That Help Dreams Come True
Sun, 26 Apr at 01:00 pm Creative Writing Workshop: How to Write Stories That Help Dreams Come True

Библиотека Хиллхед

Del's Drag Brunch
Sun, 26 Apr Del's Drag Brunch

Delmonicas

Country Brunch
Sun, 26 Apr at 01:30 pm Country Brunch

Braidbar Road, Glasgow

LEGO Printmaking Workshop: Design Bold Geometric Patterns
Sun, 26 Apr at 01:30 pm LEGO Printmaking Workshop: Design Bold Geometric Patterns

The Arlington Baths Club

DECADES - Beatles & Beyond with Itchycoo Park
Sun, 26 Apr at 02:30 pm DECADES - Beatles & Beyond with Itchycoo Park

The Ferry

K-Pop Live - Show 2
Sun, 26 Apr at 02:30 pm K-Pop Live - Show 2

SWG3

Traditional and Folk Music with Fuaim
Sun, 26 Apr at 02:30 pm Traditional and Folk Music with Fuaim

Gael & Grain

Grounded Flow: Ashtanga, Meditation & Breathwork with Laura Gonzalez
Sun, 26 Apr at 03:00 pm Grounded Flow: Ashtanga, Meditation & Breathwork with Laura Gonzalez

5th floor suite 384, 93 Hope St

Glasgow is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Glasgow Events