TEHRAN- In the aftermath of the tragedy at Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, a striking artistic intervention transformed the damaged site into a powerful visual reminder of loss, memory, and resilience. The installation, known as “Red Butterflies”, was conceived and executed by the Architecture Center of the Art Bureau, under the direction of architect Mostafa Momeni-Rad, as an effort to preserve public attention on the victims and ensure that the tragedy would not fade from collective memory. 

According to Momeni-Rad, the project was planned to coincide with the fortieth day after the incident, a period when public and media attention traditionally returns to commemorate victims. The team arrived in Minab approximately one month after the tragedy and worked under difficult circumstances, including ongoing wartime conditions and limited access to information.

In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times, the architect explained that the primary objective was to create an artistic language capable of communicating the human dimension of the disaster to both domestic and international audiences. Rather than relying on culturally specific symbols, the team sought an image that could be universally understood.

Their inspiration emerged from some of the most heartbreaking scenes documented after the incident: scattered notebooks, burned textbooks, and torn pages belonging to schoolchildren. These remnants became the conceptual foundation of the installation.

“We wanted to give visual form to the dreams, aspirations, and futures that were suddenly interrupted,” Momeni-Rad said.

More than 2,000 red translucent pieces were carefully shaped and suspended from dozens of nearly invisible strings attached to the damaged structure. Together, they formed the image of hundreds of butterflies appearing to rise into the sky from the site of destruction.

The choice of the school itself as the installation site was deliberate. While other locations, including the victims’ cemetery, were considered, the design team ultimately concluded that the school building possessed a unique documentary and symbolic value. 

“The surviving structure served as a direct witness to the tragedy, making it the most meaningful setting for artistic intervention,” he mentioned. 

Despite logistical and security challenges, a small team of artists completed the installation in just a few days. “Much of the preparation had already been carried out in Tehran, where each individual element was manually shaped to create the illusion of movement and suspension,” he added.

Once in Minab, the team worked at significant heights and without making permanent alterations to the damaged building.

The response from families and local residents proved especially meaningful for the project’s creators. While the designers viewed the floating red forms as representations of children’s unfinished dreams, some visitors interpreted them differently.

“One family member described the installation as resembling fragments of children ascending toward the sky, connecting the artwork to personal memories of the day of the tragedy,” Momeni-Rad noted. 

These emotional interpretations demonstrated the capacity of public art to create multiple layers of meaning while remaining deeply connected to lived experience, he explained. 

The installation also achieved another objective: ensuring that every photograph and video subsequently captured at the site would inevitably include the artwork. As journalists and photographers documented the school, the red butterflies became part of the visual narrative surrounding the tragedy.

Beyond the immediate project, Momeni-Rad sees the work as part of a broader discussion about memorial architecture and collective memory. He argues that temporary installations can play a critical role during periods of crisis, particularly when permanent memorials require years of planning and construction.

“A temporary intervention does not contradict memorialization,” he noted. “It responds to an immediate need while larger decisions about preservation and commemoration are still being made.”

The architect emphasized that physical spaces possess a unique ability to preserve historical memory. While films, photographs, and written accounts all contribute to public understanding, places themselves often become the most enduring carriers of collective remembrance.

Reflecting on the future of sites affected by war and tragedy, Momeni-Rad said that reconstruction should not necessarily mean erasure. 

“Portions of damaged buildings and urban spaces can be preserved and integrated into new functions, allowing communities to move forward without losing their connection to history,” he suggested. 

“The disappearance of these physical traces can weaken collective memory,” he said. “Architecture provides an opportunity to preserve history while giving new life to a place.”

The Architecture Center is currently involved in discussions regarding future memorial and museum projects connected to recent events. At the same time, teams are conducting extensive documentation of affected buildings through photography, aerial surveys, and digital recording techniques to create lasting archives before physical changes occur.

For Momeni-Rad, the significance of projects such as “Red Butterflies” extends beyond a single event. 

“They represent an effort to safeguard historical memory for future generations and to ensure that moments of collective suffering remain visible within the cultural landscape,” he added.

As the red forms continue to hover above the damaged school, they serve not only as an artistic statement but also as a reminder that architecture and art can help societies remember, mourn, and ultimately find meaning in the face of tragedy.

On February 28, the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, became the site of a catastrophic massacre during the initial waves of aggression launched by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran. 

The strike occurred as students—children aged between 7 and 12—were beginning their morning lessons. A precision missile strike caused the immediate collapse of the school building, trapping students and teachers beneath mountains of rubble. Official reports confirmed a final death toll of 168 victims, with at least 95 others sustaining severe injuries, marking one of the most harrowing atrocities of the conflict's opening day.

While US and Zionist authorities initially attempted to distance themselves from the carnage as images of the ruins flooded social media, rigorous forensic and digital investigations have since exposed the truth. An extensive analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit, utilizing over a decade of satellite imagery and ground-level video, confirmed that the school was a distinct civilian facility, isolated from any military installations for at least ten years. Furthermore, satellite data revealed that the school was "triple-tapped"—hit by three separate, deliberate strikes—proving the attack was not a mistake, but a calculated targeting of children.

This conclusion has been echoed by the international community's most reputable news outlets. Investigations by The New York Times, BBC Verify, CBC, and NPR have all independently concluded that the United States was responsible for the strike. These findings have sparked global outrage and raised fundamental questions regarding the "intelligence" used to justify the bombing, as the pattern of the attack suggests the direct targeting of an educational institution. The Minab school tragedy now stands as a somber testament to the immense human cost of this aggression and a primary focal point for international demands for accountability.

SAB/