Frequently Asked Questions

What is A-lef?

A-lef is a completely volunteer based project with two main missions: providing up to date information about different branches of visual arts, and increasing the collaboration between the members of art community inside and out of Iran.

 In doing so, A-lef serves as a communication medium for members of artistic community through which they can collaborate on any of branches of visual arts derived from Painting, namely, Video Art, Installation, Digital, and of course Painting itself.

The website has six main sections: Member’s Profiles, Gallery, Articles, News, Resources, and A-lef Database any user is welcome to visit A-lef Database, browse members’  galleries, and read news, resources, and articles. Moreover, every article will have a discussion section in A-lef’s forum which is open to all users for joining current discussions or initiating new topics.
Besides A-lef Database which is updated monthly by A-lef’s editorial team, all other sections are joint contributions of A-lef’s members and editorial team. Material submitted by A-lef’s editorial team will be specified by A-lef’s logo in front of it.

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Who is running A-lef?

A-lef is a joint effort by students in different universities inside and outside of Iran. The founder of the website is Ms. Katayoun Vaziri who is currently a M.F.A. candidate at Yale University in Painting.

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What are the different parts of A-lef?

Gallery: In this section the art work of members in forms of photos and video is displayed.
Articles: Articles presented in this section are either written by A-lef members or are translated to either of the A-lef’s languages. Every article has an allocated space in the discussion forum which is open to all A-lef users.
Resources: In this section members will introduce any link which the assess useful for A-lef’s users.
News: This part is updated by members about the official or unofficial art related news in their area. These could include news about their own work or any other useful information such as schedule of different events and exhibitions.
A-lef Database: This section is updated monthly and only by A-lef’s editorial team. We will try to introduce contemporary artists in any of the 4 major group’s of A-lef’s focus, Video Art, Installation, Digital, and Painting who have had a significant influence on the direction of their major’s development. Since at the moment most of A-lef’s editorial team resides in the United States the focus of the information will be temporarily on artists from this area of the world. A-lef, however, is trying to be inclusive as much as possible.

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Why is A-lef bilingual?

There are two main reasons for this. First, as a consequence of immigration of so many Iranians in recent decades the population of Iranian artists outside of Iran is considerable. Part of this population is the second-generation Iranians who are not fluent in Farsi. Having the website in English will enable these users to connect with Iran’s current art and artists. Second, the English version of the website will allow non-Iranian users to read articles provided by Iranian members and familiarize themselves with their works.

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How can I rely on news provided by A-lef?

The rationale behind creation of A-lef is that the collective wisdom of all users will bring a good, reliable content to the table. Every piece of news is provided either by members or A-lef’s editorial team. Members come from around the globe and update the website with latest news related to visual arts in their area. A-lef will do its best to ensure the accuracy of the news by requiring members to specify the source of the submitted information. Furthermore, if A-lef is informed that submitted information is false then the news will be deleted from the website and the member will be omitted. However, A-lef can not guarantee the accuracy of the provided information at all times and does not accept any responsibility of the possible consequences of actions taken by users based on the presented material. Any news published by A-lef’s editorial team will be specified by A-lef’s logo.

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How can I know that the articles are original?

There are two types of articles in A-lef: The ones that are originally written by members and the ones that are translated by them. In case of the articles written by members, the best way is to check member’s profile to see if you think the caliber of the article matches member’s background and qualifications. Please note that A-lef’s articles are not peer reviewed and therefore the originality and accuracy of the articles are not guaranteed. It is hoped however, that the collective wisdom of the users, manifested through discussion forums and contacting A-lef’s editorial team will lead us towards a fairly flawless content. If you see any error please don’t hesitate to contact us. If A-lef is informed of any case of plagiarism the article will be deleted from the website and the members subscription will be terminated.

In case of translated articles, A-lef will publish them only if it is referenced appropriately. A-lef is doing its best to keep the quality of translation to an acceptable standard. However, if you encounter a mistake in any of translated articles please do not hesitate to report it in the article’s related discussion in the forum or email us about it. Any article published by A-lef’s editorial team will be specified by A-lef’s logo.

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As a user, if I see that an article is not original what should I do?

This website relies on its users both as a source of information and an supervisor for the accuracy of the presented material. If you are sure that some news or information is forged or copied please email us stating your reasons and references.

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How can I be constantly updated on A-lef’s new material?

You can subscribe to A-lef’s email list

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Do I have to be a professional critic in art to be a member of A-lef?

A-lef relies on each and every interested user to raise the collective knowledge of all of us. Student or not, art major or other, amateur or professional, as long as you are committed to quality and intenerated in collaboration and sharing knowledge A-lef will welcome you as a member.

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Do I have to be fluent in both English and Persian (Farsi) to become a member?

You do not have to be fluent in both languages to become a member. In principle we would like to have the presented material in both languages. However, A-lef can help with English to Farsi translations if time and volunteer availability restrictions allow. If you are not fluent in English and would like to submit an article in Farsi please contact us about the possible assistance for translation. Submission of an abstract of the article in the other language is also acceptable.

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How can I become a member?

The only possible way to obtain A-lef’s membership is through article submission. Articles can be originally written by user or translated by him/her.

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Why article submission is the membership requirement?

Shamim Mostaghim says “We Iranians for social and historical reasons are afraid of writing and documenting our thoughts (Herfe Honarmand, 18). If we don’t record our thoughts and don’t subject it to others’ evaluation and criticism we will essentially be trapped in our own beliefs and will repeat it to ourselves. The loss is art.”

The reason for requiring members to submit article is facing and overcoming this fear. Moreover, it will give the member a chance to elucidate their opinion freely and the reader

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What are the format requirements for article submission?

In case of original articles written by users, the submitted article should:

1. Have an introduction and a conclusion section.
2. The references should be listed clearly and addressed appropriately at the end of the article.
3. Be either in Farsi or English or preferably in both languages.

In case of translated articles, the submitted article should:

1. Clearly reference the original copy with the name of the author and where it is published originally.
2. If it is translated from any other language to Farsi, it is required to obtain the translation permission from the owner of the article. Usually, if articles are published in a peer reviewed journal or a book then the publisher is the owner of the text. If you find an article in the internet it is enough to specify the link and the date via which you accessed the original article.

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Is there any monitoring on the discussion forum for different articles?

The comments posted by users are constantly monitored by A-lef’s editorial team. Although A-lef does encourage constructive criticism and discussions, offensive comments and irrelevant posts are highly discouraged and will be deleted after preliminary notices to the user. If you feel that any member is violating the ethics of discussion please don’t hesitate to contact us about it.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Members

 

I have forgotten my password. What should I do?

A-lef generates a new password for you in case you forget it. Forgot password?

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How can I edit my profile?

After logging in to the site you will have three options: logout, edit account, and my account. You can edit your profile via “edit account” option.

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What are the acceptable formats for my work in the gallery section?

Photos should be in .jpg format and 72dpi.
Videos can be in .mpeg2, .avi, or .mov format with maximum 4Mg.
All files should be accompanied by a text file which gives a full explanation of the work and complete qualifications of the sender. All these should be in one single zip file(.zip format) and be submitted via the form[inja be formeh link bedeh] in Gallery section.

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