Through the front yard and up the deck stairs of a quaint Victorian era house is the entryway of inconspicuous James Black Gallery where “Arezoo | Intimacy and Iran,” curated by Sev Shabankareh, exhibited for a weekend in September. Taken from Farsi, “Arezoo” refers to a wish or desire and the show featured an all Iranian line-up of artists who were invited to explore the title’s various dimensions through the Iranian experience — especially subjects which are limited to hushed whispers and private confessions. A combination of sociocultural, religious and political factors make it really difficult to talk about specific experiences and identities (such as for queer individuals, or for femmes who do not abide by the requirements to be docile and obedient) because those factors act also as agents for policing and reprehension. Conversations refer to a limited, but established, list of what is acceptable to talk about and are presented in sani