Artist, archivist, and educator Behzad Khosravi Nouri, and Richard Lackey from Fujifilm Middle East delve into Behzad's unique exhibition at Gulf Photo Plus, titled "The Life of an Itinerant Through a Pinhole," which explores his grandfather's photographic work in Tehran during the 1950s and 60s using a handcrafted camera. Richard explains Fujifilm's involvement in creating a giant walk-in camera obscura for the exhibition. We discover the historical and emotional significance behind Behzad's work and how it sheds light on the working-class immigrant community in Tehran, the democratization of photography, and the concept of "soul catcher" cameras.
This special episode of The afikra Podcast was recorded on the Quoz Arts Fest stage at alserkal in Dubai in January, and is one in five episodes which were published on this podcast or Quartertones. Make sure to check them out!
00:00 Introduction to the Soul Catcher Camera
01:15 Behzad's Exhibition Overview
02:18 Fujifilm's Role in the Camera Obscura Project
04:30 Behzad's Personal Connection to Photography
05:38 The Historical Context of the Archive
06:31 Discovery of the Pinhole Camera
08:27 The Concept of the Soul Catcher
10:43 Photography as a Violent Act
16:07 Self-Orientalism in Photography
17:01 The Itinerant Theme in the Exhibition
18:38 Final Thoughts
Behzad Khosravi Noori is a PhD, artist, writer, educator, playgrounder and necromancer. His research-based practice includes films, installations, as well as archival studies. His work investigate histories from The Global South, labor and the means of production, and histories of political relationships that have existed as a counter narrative to the east-west dichotomy during the Cold War. His work has been shown at Kalmar Museum, Malmö art Museum, Timișoara Biennale, 12.0 Contemporary Islamabad, Tensta Konsthall, Venice Biennale, HDLU Zagreb, WHW Zagreb, Botkyrka Konsthall, CFF (Centre of Photography, Stockholm), Marabouparken, and Centre of Contemporary art, Riga, among other venues.
Connect with Behzad 👉 https://www.instagram.com/behzad.khosravi.noori
Gulf Photo Plus is a center for film photography in the UAE which cultivates visual practices through year-round workshops, art programs, exhibitions, community events, publishing, state-of-the art printing services, and specialized photography resources.
Explore Gulf Photo Plus 👉 www.gulfphotoplus.com
Hosted by:
Bayan Dahdah 👉 https://www.instagram.com/bayandahdah
Bayan Dahdah is a multidisciplinary designer and the founder of Sarj - a mobile seat made for sketching, with which she gives traveling observational sketching workshops in groups. Using the tactile touch of art (sketchbooks, memorabilia), and the freedom/accessibility of digital art (graphic design elements/photographs) she aims to retell her memories and document her journeys. Hailing from an architectural background, she has dabbled in the fields of photography, graphic design and film. Writing and directing a short film titled Shishbarak with the Doha Film Institute, which screened at the Malmo Arab Film Festival and the Chicago Palestine Film Festival, has allowed her to understand the fundamentals of narrative storytelling, as well as how to manifest this visually.
Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
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