He is a member of the Odessa Group of exiled and dissident artists.

The Odessa Group of exiled and dissident artists take their name from the Ukrainian city of Odessa.

But the more nearly total the state, the more vivid the dissident artist.

Like other dissident artists, they survived through a combination of cleverness, perseverance, and wit.

"We became dissident artists without even trying," he said.

"They have interrogated me twice so far," said Mr. Panahi, referring to the Iranian intelligence service, which routinely questions dissident artists.

He only said that the Archon had forbidden all dissident artists to translate from Ifryn.

This followed a visit in summer of 1975 when Wyeth was invited to the Soviet Union to tour the country's art museums, and he took the opportunity to meet with dissident artists.

Parents and students joined in animated exchanges over the future of absurdist theater, with Mr. Range raising the issue of the role of the dissident artist in modern politics.

The most potent of these was the election of a dissident artist, Vaclav Havel, as political leader.