January 2012
+ I will give a talk entitled "A Plea for a Break in "Participation" at Mångkulturellt Centrum (Multicultural Center) on the topic of participation and design. Please check here for more information.
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December 2011
+ I will present a new paper in 2012 Human Cities Symposium in Brussels which takes place between 14-15 of MArch 2012. The theme of symposium is Reclaiming Public Space and my paper entitled "FREE TRANSLATION AS A CRITICAL METHOD IN SOCIO-POLITICAL DESIGN ACTIONS" examines the possibility of a critical and negative engagement of politics of translation in politically engaged design actions related to public space. The paper is an extension of one of my hypothesis developed within Forms of Resistance project. Human Cities is a European network that groups scientific and cultural partners involved in research and information on
spatial, social and political innovation related to the production of public
space in contemporary cities. For more info check here.
+ I will present a paper in Crossroads2012: International Conference of Cultural Studies which takes place in Paris between 2-6 of July 2012. The paper entitled: Materiality: Distinctive Aspect of Politically Engaged Design in Critical Practices is an explorative and analytic discussion on materiality as the intersection of critical art and critical design. The papers discusses artistic and design projects done in the subject area of 'statelessness' and 'undocumentedness' in order to examine if is there any difference between art and design in such subjects? Do we need to make a distinction and if so, how do we do that?
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September 2011
+I have just started my PhD Studies at the School of Arts and Communication (K3) of Malmö University, Sweden. The research profile that I have been admitted to is focused on New Media, Public Sphere and Forms of Expression. My research proposal discusses the possibility of engaging philosophy of politics in order to create a collaborative space/time for intervention by 'Undocumented Immigrants' in pre-established policing space/time of Europe. A collaborative critical practice aiming to attack into ramparts of 'design knowledge' and society exclusive structures. The project aims at series of experiments in the field of statelessness and 'Homo Sacer' by material aspects of design and language of humanities and continental philosophy.
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June 2011
+ I have started working as a Visiting Researcher at Design Research Unit of Interactive Institute, Sweden. I am involved in Forms of Sustainability project.
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June 2011
+ I received a grant from Helge Ax:son Johnsons Foundation to continue working on my research project by publishing and presenting papers of the research in conferences.
+ My paper entitles "Experience Design as Activism" has been published in working papers of Cumulus conference in Belgium. Download the book here.
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May 2011
+ Co-editorial sessions of Forms of Resistance in order to create a book out of available materials will take place at Konstfack spring show from 19th to 29th of May 2011. For more info and schedule please check www.formsofreistance.com
+ The Website of my thesis Project Forms of Resistance is up now. You can see and read more details regarding the project there.
+ I presented one chapter of my thesis book entitled "Political Forms of Experience" in a format of a paper at 9th International European Academy of Design Conference at Porto, Portugal. The conference was between 4-7 May 2011.
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Apr 2011
+ Vijai Patchineelam and I will exhibit an installation in a coming exhibition entitled "Unfinished Analogies" at Konsthall C, Stockholm.
The exhibition takes a critical approach toward the situation of art/design education in Sweden and world. Our work "Wild Attacks of Cynicism" is a hacked photobook which depicts our story in M.F.A program and is linked to more general critical text on education in positive environments. One could say it is a cynical attack to issues such as creativity, positivity and functionality in design education.
+ The paper I presented at Cumulus Conference in Belgium in April 2010 has been selected to be published among few best articles for the publishing. Mine was on Experience Design and Activism. The conference book will be uploaded on Cumulus website soon.
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Mar 2011
+On the anniversary of the international women day, the webpage of “THE EXPERIENCE OF A RESISTANCE” has been launched.
This website is compilation of real stories and narratives of a group of Iranian women, reflecting their share of the ongoing violence in the society that they live in, and designed to form a collective resistance against normalized and systemic violence against women.
The idea of launching the website comes from series of workshops held by the “Change for Equality Campaign” on violence against women in Tehran and other cities, the outcomes of which, combined with close collaboration of various members of “Change for Equality’ Campaign” and me, led to creation of this online multimedia atlas of violence.
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Feb 2011
+I have just begun my master thesis work at Design Research Unit, Interactive Institute. I will be attached to the FORMS OF SUSTAINABILITY project from now until June. My supervisor at Institute is Ramia Mazé and I will work with Christina Zetterlund and Johan Redström as well.
+"The Experience of a Resistance" website is under construction. Currently the website is devoted to the first experiment which is done in Iran through collaboration with "Campaign for Equality". After 8th of March the second experiment will be uploaded as well. The second experiment is collaboration with "Ain't I A Woman" campaign which focuses on "undocumented migrant women’s right to protection" in Sweden.
+Recently I have finished two articles which are outcomes of my first experimental research in Iran. "Situated Ethics in Research: Ethics, Situations, Reflexivity and Positionality in Design Actions" is submitted to the Nordes2011 Conference and "Translation as a Critical Act in Design Activism" is submitted to the Design History Society Annual Conference.
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Nov 2010
+I will give a talk on Wednesday 21 November, 4 p.m., at Seoul Cultural Center, Tehran. The title of speech is mostly my recent investigations in the field: "Opening the Space of Experience: Design, Critical Discourse and Activism". The talk will be held in Persian. for more info check here.
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Sep 2010
+ I am writing a paper entitled 'Opening the Space of Experience: On Political Forms of Aesthetics in Design'. This paper which is a part of my thesis project mostly relied on Jacques Rancière's theory regarding 'Politics of Aesthetics'. The paper aims to reconfigure Design - not as we know about forms and functions, taste and the basics of doing ‘good design’ - but mostly as a potential discipline to open a space for giving opportunities to experiencing 'unsayble', 'invisible' and 'inaudible', could be redefined as political design.
+ In 3rd of September, I will participate in a panel discussion part of "I Care A Lot: A Portable Discussion", at Platina Gallery in Stockholm. The panel will discuss issues around the role of art and design in political contexts.
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May 2010
+ Today, 20th of May, alongside with the opening of Konstfack 2010 Spring Show, A new website which is run by EDG students , and I am in charge of some sections, will be up:
'Experience Design is a response to the urgent question: How might design continue to be relevant within what many are calling the I-Cubed (Information, Innovation, Intangible) Economy? Learn about the first MFA in Experience Design at Konstfack University College of the Arts, Craft and Design, Stockholm, through the student-run website launched today':
The Experience Design Group
+ I will fly to Genk, a small city in Belgium, where the International Cumulus Conference 2010 will be held.Borderline - Pushing design over the limit" is the title of this Cumulus Conference. My paper - which is a part of the main research project that I am working with- entitled Experience Design as Activism will be present on 27th of May. This paper is about potentiality of experience design in social change and how Experience Design can improve design activism in a more durable way.
+ I am going to Helsinki this week, 22-25 of May to present one of my recent papers: "Protest Artifacts: Objects as Design Activism" at "Fiscar 2010: Nordic conference on Activity theory and the Fourth Finnish Conference on Cultural and Activity Research". This is one part of my bigger research project The Experience of Emancipated Society / When Experience Design Helps Activism.
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March 2010
+ "Mobile Fresh Air" is published on "Design Philosophy Politics" e-zine in Fictions section. This e-zine is a side project of Design Philosophy Papers Journal with great focus on political issues. Design Philosophy Politics aims to make a new feature to publish a series of fictional-conceptual designs to provoke people into thinking about what they buy.
+ I am still struggling with my individual school project: The "[un]comfortable chair". Probably I will come up with the concept until next two weeks.
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Feb. 2010 | No.2
+I finished sustainability course and you can see the outcome here.
Now I'm working on an other individual project which is about execution and torturing and that's a hard challenge for me. This month's travel and books I've read and am reading now are my inspirational sources... something from The Holocaust to Darfur War, from Žižek to Agamben! I'm not sure about the result and still is a naive idea I think!
In other side, I am writing two papers for two design magazines in Iran, one for "Dastavard Magazine" which is about Critical Design and another one for "4Baq Magazine" which is about Experience Design.
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Feb. 2010
+I finished the paper for Fiscar 2010 with this title: "Protest Artifacts: Objects as Design Activism".
Beside school project on "sustainability in design", I've started to write an abstract for another conference. Borderline - Pushing design over the limit is a conference on critical design which will be run by Cumulus in Genk, Belgium.
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Jan. 2010
+Currently I'm working on a new paper for Fiscar 2010.
The theme which I'm working on it is "protest and demonstration artifacts and their roles in social movements".
+At school I am currently attending "That Depends... Sustainability in Design Practice" elective course by Leif Thies now. Outcome of this course will be published at "EDG Practices @ Konstfack" section by end of February.
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