the Nomad’s Call: Firouz FarmanFarmaian Captures New York City
Table of Contents
- 1. the Nomad’s Call: Firouz FarmanFarmaian Captures New York City
- 2. Building upon the theme of cultural exchange, how does FarmanFarmaian’s approach to “post-tribal” art revitalize ancient traditions within contemporary discourse?
- 3. The Nomad’s Call: Firouz FarmanFarmaian Captures New York City
- 4. An Interview with Artist firouz FarmanFarmaian
- 5. A Conversation with the Artist
Art took center stage in New York City this past winter as Firouz FarmanFarmaian,a multifaceted artist,composer,film director,and cultural producer,unveiled a captivating series of new works across several captivating events.
FarmanFarmaian, a descendant of the Qajar dynasty, a Turkic tribe that ruled Persia in the late 1700s, brought a unique outlook to the stage. Exiled as the 1979 iranian Revolution, he holds French-Swedish citizenship and identifies as stateless, traveling between cultures throughout his life. His art, deeply rooted in history and memory, explores nomadic visual culture and the “post-tribal”—a way of revitalizing ancient traditions within contemporary discourse.
The week-long artistic exploration commenced with the US debut of FarmanFarmaian’s band FORRM,performing their innovative album “GALACTICA,” a vibrant fusion of 60s and 90s independent rock with a captivatingly tribal twist. The week continued with Camilla FarmanFarmaian’s Saint Tropez-based juncture Gallery presenting a three-day pop-up exhibition of “Paintovers.” This showcase explored the transformative process of layering and rediscovering meaning in found and archival materials, a signature element of FarmanFarmaian’s artistic practice.
The culminating event took place at the museum of Arts, were FarmanFarmaian hosted an immersive experience. This innovative audio-visual spectacle, powered by Interactive Items, utilized artificial intelligence to offer a glimpse into the artist’s creative process, offering audiences a preview of his upcoming arthouse documentary, “PATH.”
Prior to this mesmerizing exhibition, we had the prospect to speak with FarmanFarmaian about his artistic journey and his purpose behind bringing his unique vision to New York City.
When asked about the significance of a New York moment, FarmanFarmaian reflected, “There is a sense of happenstance in my life that has always been very central.”
He continued, “If there’s one place in the world I would choose to showcase my work independently, it would be New york.I’ve always had a deep appreciation for new York City. As a Frenchman,we know that after World War II,art moved from Paris to New york. That romanticism is ingrained in my blood. When I did a show in Venice, I knew we had to do something in New York.”
“I reached out to my old friend Rodrigo Salomon,who has a stunning space on Leonard Street. I love that space. And then my partner said, ‘We want you to do the Museum of Arts too.’ And that’s how it all came together. As I started writing music for the installation, we also composed a couple of songs in the studio, and the soho Playhouse became involved.”
FarmanFarmaian’s art seeks a delicate balance, weaving together various meaningful threads.
“I believe the singularity of what I do is very worldwide,” he explained. “It can resonate at the American-Mexican border, the Indian-Pakistani border, or even the Israeli-Palestinian border. It’s truly about the junction of cultures—that’s the core thematic. While the content offers a perspective on the juncture of iranian and Western culture, the artistic movement itself that I find moast compelling today is about artists who are creating bridges between cultures and showcasing the richness of that exchange and its potential.”
He elaborated, “To bring back the conversation between Iranian contemporary artists and the Western world, I felt we needed to deconstruct the narrative further. We’re not only crossing cultures; we’re also traversing formats.”
Reflecting on his goals for his New York City experience, FarmanFarmaian expressed, “I hope to be a starting point for conversation. I’m seeking partners and individuals who want to connect, people who are eager to engage at every level, artistically, institutionally, and across the years”.
The month-long immersive exhibition and installation, “nomads of Persia,” hosted by Salomon Arts Gallery, delved into the endangered heritage of Persian tribal cultures and disrupted established narratives from a position of exile. It showcased the nomadic heritage of the artist’s fatherland, exploring ancient traditions through textile, print, paint, video, sound, and AI-powered digital material.
To learn more about FarmanFarmaian and his work, visit www.werthenomads.com.
Building upon the theme of cultural exchange, how does FarmanFarmaian’s approach to “post-tribal” art revitalize ancient traditions within contemporary discourse?
The Nomad’s Call: Firouz FarmanFarmaian Captures New York City
An Interview with Artist firouz FarmanFarmaian
Art took center stage in New York City this past winter as Firouz FarmanFarmaian, a multifaceted artist, composer, film director, and cultural producer, unveiled a captivating series of new works across several captivating events. FarmanFarmaian, a descendant of the Qajar dynasty, a turkic tribe that ruled Persia in the late 1700s, brought a unique outlook to the stage. Exiled consequently of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he holds French-swedish citizenship and identifies as stateless, traveling between cultures throughout his life. His art, deeply rooted in history and memory, explores nomadic visual culture and the “post-tribal”—a way of revitalizing ancient traditions within contemporary discourse.
A Conversation with the Artist
Prior to this mesmerizing exhibition, we had the prospect to speak with FarmanFarmaian about his artistic journey and his purpose behind bringing his unique vision to New York City.
Archyde: Firouz, yoru recent projects in New York were aspiring and multifaceted. What drew you to showcase your work here?
Firouz FarmanFarmaian: There is a sense of happenstance in my life that has always been very central. If there’s one place in the world I would choose to showcase my work independently, it would be New York. I’ve always had a deep gratitude for New York City. As a Frenchman, we certainly no that after World War II, art moved from Paris to New york. That romanticism is ingrained in my blood. when I did a show in Venice,I knew we had to do something in New York.
I reached out to my old friend Rodrigo Salomon, who has a stunning space on Leonard Street. I love that space. And then my partner saeid, ‘We wont you to do the Museum of Arts too.’ And that’s how it all came together. As I started writing music for the installation, we also composed a couple of songs in the studio, and the Soho playhouse became involved.
Archyde: Your work seamlessly blends history, tradition, and contemporary art forms. What is the core message you aim to convey through this fusion?
FarmanFarmaian: I believe the singularity of what I do is very worldwide. It can resonate at the American-Mexican border, the Indian-Pakistani border, or even the israeli-Palestinian border. It’s truly about the juncture of cultures—that’s the core thematic. While the content offers a outlook on the juncture of Iranian and Western culture, the artistic movement itself that I find most compelling today is about artists who are creating bridges between cultures and showcasing the richness of that exchange and its potential.
To bring back the conversation between iranian contemporary artists and the western world,I felt we needed to deconstruct the narrative further. We’re not only crossing cultures; we’re also traversing formats.
Archyde: What do you hope audiences will take away from their experience with your work during this New york exhibition?
FarmanFarmaian: I hope to be a starting point for conversation. I’m seeking partners and individuals who want to connect, people who are eager to engage at every level, artistically, institutionally, and across the years.
