Eddy Temple-Morris on Free Lab Radio by Fari
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Author Archives: sixpillarstopersia
Six Pillars – Norouz at the National Portrait Gallery
March 2012 Six Pillars organised an event at the National Portrait Gallery London.
Audio here from the discussion on the origins of Persian New Year, which always falls at the Spring Equinox by Dr. Khodadad Rezakani, recorded at the NPG, plus an intro from rappers Reveal and Hitchkas at the Norooz No War event.
Six Pillars – Munira Mirza
The Cultural Advisor to the Mayor explains her reasons for travelling out to the Middle East and promoting a London festival. This interview was recorded at the March Meeting, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Six Pillars – SHARE, Belgrade
In this Six Pillars show we tap into the fine array of people at Share Conference, Belgrade for a short journey of discovery.
We discuss Iran’s move towards a closed, national intranet which they can then fully censor, with a leader in the global free-internet culture movement: Elizabeth Stark. Elizabeth presented a talk at Share and has previously worked with the Harvard Advocates for Human Rights to make better use of new media to promote human rights. Stark spent years researching for the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard, and has taught courses ranging from Cyberlaw to Intellectual Property to Technology & Politics to Electronic Music.
We also discuss art, Lebanon and the fascinating story of the Lebanese community in Australia with Kamal Ackerie, himself a Lebanese Australian. At the time of interview Ackerie was Associate Director of the prolific arts and music production agency Forma Arts, UK.
Six Pillars – Cosmic Geometry
Monir with a relief piece, 1970s. Photo courtesy of artist
John Cage called her ‘that beautiful Persian girl‘, Jackson Pollock, though unfriendly, openly declared an admiration for her art. Born 1924 in Iran, Monir Farmanfarmaian later brought a flavour of Iran to New York’s avant garde, amongst whom she was circulating. It was often reported that one of her pieces had its place on Andy Warhol’s desk for example.
Her signature work has been since that time, fractal mirror sculpture, mirror mosaic and reverse-painted glass which overall embodies her lifelong fascination for natural beauty and light. And as any sprightly octogenarian still producing work should, Farmanfarmaian has just released a book: Cosmic Geometry ((Damiani Editore & The Third Line, Edited by Hans Ulrich Obrist) with passages written by such artist friends as Frank Stella and Shirin Neshat.
In this frank interview the artist discusses her first moment’s of inspiration with mirrors, kills a money spider, reflects on her life and personal art collection and bemoans the proliferation of cheap Chinese products in Iran.
Six Pillars – BFI’s Iranian Director Season
Six Pillars podcast of the interview broadcast August 20th, with BFI-once-NFT head of programming Sheila Whittaker. In her role she visited in Iran yearly for 25 years. Now in protest over the treatment of film maker Jafar Panahi, Whittaker will no longer visit. She explains the season and why and how it was programmed.
Free Lab Radio – Graphic Descriptions
Graphic Descriptions – Funk and Hiphopology by Fari
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Six Pillars – Turner Prize Nominee Shirazeh Houshiary
Shirazeh Houshiary first showed at The Lisson Gallery in 1984. On the eve of a new and monumental Lisson show Houshiari discusses her technique and thinking with Six Pillars. Her works draw on the presence of the ineffable presences that stand between life and death, earth and space, time and the nanosecond.
“I set out to capture my breath,” she says, to “find the essence of my own existence, transcending name, nationality, cultures.“
Free Lab Radio – Composer and Broadcaster Robert Worby
Composer, former post-punk band member and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Robert Worby in the studio discussing his methods, influences and the forthcoming John Cage centenary. From reel tape to keyboards to field recordings, features on sound art history, and even directing the Sonic Arts Network while holding down his day job on BBC 3’s Hear and Now – Worby’s life is steeped in audio.
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Free Lab Radio – Iranian Electronica and What Not
Leaping across the pond on lily pads buoyed up by sound. Amongst others, Canadian avant garde, African-Brazilian-Indian tribal gabba, remixed Irish boy bands and various electronica of Persian descent.
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