ZEITGEIST19 Curated Podcast

Episode Summary:

Just before Christmas our co-founder Farah Piriye hosts a candid conversation with British artist and sculptor Piers Secunda, who’s intensive research based practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make works. Discussing how art can be a social vehicle that shifts perceptions and conversations on diplomatic arena, Secunda shares with us why his latest body of work is built around the iconoclastic acts of the Islamic extremist group Isis and the destructions caused by Taliban in Afghanistan; and how he is detaching a painting from its traditional restraints as an extension of the Modernist painting practice, in artist's own words “taking a paint for a walk” and creating a work that reflects "upon the noise of the world outside the studio bubble”.

About the Speaker:

Piers Secunda was born in London in 1976 and studied painting at Chelsea College of Art in London. Secunda has developed a studio practice using paint in a sculptural manner, rejecting the limitations imposed by the canvas. His intensive research based practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make works. And using crude oil as a printing medium, to examine energy history through post industrial revolution developments, both cultural and technological, which define our world today.

Host: Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In the aftermath of the attempted Coup at the Capitol, we start the New Year with a strong belief for a profound change, releasing an episode, where we meet Amin Husain and Nitasha Dhillon - members of the action-oriented collective Decolonize This Place. They tell us why they utilise museum spaces as a focal point for resistance, identifying modern day emergencies that drastically unfold in New York and beyond. The DTP's members express their idea on how cultural institutions should function differently and share with us their vision for founding a new society that changes the landscapes of their hometowns through Action.

Who defines art? What is art washing?

Who are the institutions dominating the narrative?

How can we decrease the amount of social injustice in our community?

About Decolonize This Place:

Decolonize this Place (DTP) is an action-oriented movement and decolonial formation in New York City. Facilitated by MTL+, DTP consists of over 30 collaborators, consisting of grassroots groups and art collectives that seek to resist, unsettle, and reclaim the city. The organizing and action bring together many strands of analysis and traditions of resistance: Indigenous insurgence, Black liberation, free Palestine, free Puerto Rico, the struggles of workers and debtors, de-gentrification, migrant justice, dismantling patriarchy, and more. In some cases, we have used cultural institutions as platforms and amplifiers for movement demands, but we do not understand the transformation of these institutions as an end in and of itself. We aim to cultivate a politics of autonomy, solidarity, and mutual aid within a long-term, multi-generational horizon of decolonial, anti-capitalist, and feminist liberation that is animated by Grace Lee Boggs' question: "What time is it on the clock of the world?"

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

Today we are meeting with Bahia Shehab, an artist, designer and art historian. Bahia through investigating Islamic art history, creates a poetic and powerful body of work, reinterpreting contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. Utilising urban environments and murals to communicate her strong message, a street artist and activist, Bahia produces an ephemeral artwork in response to Arab Spring and beyond, relentlessly saying “No and a thousand times No” to discrimination, killing, harassment, inequality, injustice, borders, extremism and racism. In this genuine conversation, Bahia speaks to us about the point where one must take sides, about a human collective response to the universal crises, about refusing to remain lost in translation, about the idea of imposed narrative in the postcolonial world, and the lack of accuracy in interpreting Arabic culture and Islamic heritage globally.

The Speaker:

Bahia Shehab is Professor of design and founder of the graphic design program at The American University in Cairo. Her work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and streets around the world. Through investigating Islamic art history she reinterprets contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. She has received a number of international recognitions and awards, which include the BBC 100 Women list, a TED Senior fellowship, and a Prince Claus Award. She is the first Arab woman to receive the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. Shehab holds a PhD from Leiden University in The Netherlands and is the founding director of TypeLab@AUC. Her publications include A Thousand Times NO: The Visual History of Lam-Alif, At The Corner of a Dream and the co-authored book A History of Arab Graphic Design. Her latest book You Can Crush the Flowers: A Visual Memoir of the Egyptian Revolution will be published in 2021 to mark the ten-year anniversary of the uprising.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet American researcher and academic Sara Naomi Bleich, who speaks about one of the long lasting side effects of COVID-19 - food insecurity. A former White House Fellow and a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michelle Obama's Let’s Move initiative, Sara discusses major issues of the food supply chain and a potential future recovery of the system, build through new adequate policies helping the ones who need the most, mainly lower income and minority populations. Sara advocates urgently addressing hunger for reaching the United Nations goal - Ending Hunger by 2030 - through a stronger and wisely moderated sustainable path.

Why is hunger even more urgent to address?

How can we end hunger by 2030?

Is there a political wheel to make these changes permanent?

The Speaker:

Sara Bleich is a Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She is also the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and a member of the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research provides evidence to support policies to prevent obesity and diet-related diseases, particularly among populations at higher risk. Sara is the past recipient of several awards including one for excellence in public interest communication. Sara was recently appointed as a White House Fellow (2015-2016) where she was a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative. She is currently an appointed member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. She holds degrees from Columbia (BA, Psychology) and Harvard (PhD, Health Policy).

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In the wake of the myriad crises of the past two decades - art helps the world to be felt - by its inhabitants - spurring thinking, engagement and even action. In this episode we meet Simon Butler, founder of Migrate Art Charity, who delves into most pressing issues of today that the media and global society are disconnected from. We talk about his latest project The Scorched Earth, turning ash from burnt crops of Iraqi Kurdistan into art, organised in direct response to widespread deliberate destruction of the war-torn fields that impact the economy, ecosystem, and intimidating local communities. Simon explains to us how he changes the perspective on charity auctions, using the voice of significant artists, advocating that We are part of a larger We.

The Speaker:

Simon Butler is a curator, social entrepreneur and artist based in London. He founded Migrate Art in 2016 after visiting the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France for the first time. This poignant experience inspired him to use his years of experience in the art world to help those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. To date, Migrate Art has raised over £550,000, helped thousands of people across Europe and the Middle East and worked with some of the world's leading artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Raqib Shaw.

Follow Migrate Art's Journey on Instagram and Twitter

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

They say in the past scientist were called "natural philosophers", and we are honoured to launch our Season 2.0 No Man Is An Island, having one of the leading epidemiologists, internationally recognized for scientific contributions to HIV treatment, Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, on our platform, to discuss potential COVID-19 vaccination, the hazards of 'vaccine-nationalism', the significant milestones in HIV prevention, the inequality in medical care access and other major challenges and transformations in South Africa's health system and beyond. Prof Karim tells us about the fundamental belief of ubuntu, referring to 'I Am Because You Are', and his strong hopes for a better interconnected healthier world.

How can we control the spread of COVID-19?

What are the pros and cons of the new Coronavirus vaccine?

What are the hidden downsides of it?

What are the transformative events in curing HIV?

The Speaker:

Salim S. Abdool Karim, FRS, is a South African clinical infectious diseases epidemiologist widely recognized for scientific contributions to HIV prevention and treatment. He is Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, and CAPRISA Professor of Global Health at Columbia University, New York. He is an Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University, Boston, Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Cornell University, New York, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. He is an Associate Member of The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. He previously served as President of the South African Medical Research Council and is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and as a Member of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus and the Lancet Commission on COVID-19. Dr Abdool Karim is ranked among the world’s most highly cited scientists by Web of Science. He serves on the Boards of several journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Global Health, Lancet HIV and mBio. He is the Chair of the UNAIDS Scientific Expert Panel, WHO’s HIV Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee as well as the WHO TB-HIV Task Force. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Global Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His many awards include the African Union’s “Kwame Nkrumah Award” which is Africa’s most prestigious scientific award, the Kuwait Al-Sumait Award, the Canadian Gairdner Global Health Award and pinnacle awards from the African Academy of Sciences, Academy of Science in South Africa, Royal Society of South Africa and the South African Medical Research Council. He is a member of the US National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Microbiology and the Association of American Physicians. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Follow Prof. Karim's Journey on Twitter

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In this genuine conversation with the curator and director of Foundation Art Divvy Zahra Khan, we discuss the rise of contemporary art scene in Pakistan, the significance of women’s artistic creations in the region, political and social manifestations in the work of the local artists and how foundations such as Art Divvy and Lahore Biennale breath a new life into the Pakistan’s vibrant art universe.

The Speaker:

Zahra Khan is a curator based between the United Kingdom and Pakistan who focuses on contemporary South Asian art. In her role as Creative Director and Curator of Foundation Art Divvy, she works to promote contemporary artists from Pakistan and build the organisation’s presence on the international art scene. Her latest venture with the Foundation has been to curate the inaugural Pavilion of Pakistan, Manora Field Notes, a solo exhibition by Naiza Khan, at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Follow Art Divvy's Journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In line with the new partial lockdown in Italy, in collaboration with MdA Design Agency, in this episode we meet Marco Minoja, the Cultural Director of Comune di Milano - the Municipality of Milan. We will discuss how Milan and its cultural scene are dealing with the pandemic and what are the new ways for re-thinking the museum system in a critical moment of a transparent diagnosis of its fragile parts. Marco speaks to us about the need of cultural mosaic and the importance of multiculturalism.

Is Cultural Mosaic an Utopia?

How Milan and its cultural scene is dealing with the pandemic?

How can the museum system be restructured?

The Speaker:

Marco Minoja is the Cultural Director of Comune di Milano. Since 2018 he is taking care of the cultural heritage of the city; over 20 civic museums, 35 libraries, historic buildings, exhibitions and entertainment activities. Previously he directed the regional offices of MiBACT in Lombardy and Sardinia. Before joining MiBACT he worked as a museum curator and an independent professional, conducting archaeological excavations and research studies.

In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

Co-host: Maddalena D’Alfonso, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet Francesca Molteni - an Italian film director and design curator. We discuss the essence of design, its anti-crisis purposes and the collective work that can help us in overcoming difficult times. Analyzing the thin line between ethics and aesthetics, Francesca stresses on the capacity of creation to find new strategies for re-building the future of her beloved city of Milan.

How can we re-build the future through design?

The Speaker:

Francesca Molteni is an Italian curator and film director. In 2019 she founded MUSE Factory of Projects, developing editorial and multimedia projects, videos, video installations and websites with the aim of linking creativity, culture and business.

Follow Francesca's Journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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