Genocide Kitchen

Samaa Emad Abuallaban

Sama Emad is a young Palestinian artist from Gaza. In “The Genocide Kitchen”, she uses collage to document and archive the experiences of the Gazan people, focusing on their relationship with food and the scorched land during forced displacement and the use of starvation as a tool of genocidal warfare.

I, Nazly, My Father’s Son

Nazly Pourshirmohamad

I, Nazli, My Father's Son is an artistic research project in which the artist explores her relationship with her father. Her inquiry gradually led her to gender studies and the in time her work aquires autoethnographic and collective traits. This text is the product of a coauthorship process in which Nazli's narrative becomes interwoven into the stories of her colleagues.

Toward an Aesthetics of the Epistemologies of the South

Boaventura de Sousa Santos

This manifesto in twenty-two theses is a chapter of the book Knowledges Born in The Struggle (2019), edited by the Portuguese sociologist, Boaventura de Sousa Santos. In this manifesto-like text Boaventura de Sousa Santos states his ideas about the intertwined nature of domination systems in our world and the possibilities to confront them. Sarazad has translated this text in a collective endeavour.

Autoethnography, Narration and Emancipation

Shiva Alinaqian

Shiva Alinaqian has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology. When writing her thesis on the construction of maternal identity, she realized that she is not to set aside her personal experience of mothering and, thus, she opted for an autoethnographical approach.

Somewhere in Between: Retracing Footsteps to My Forgotten Identity

Hira Munir

In this photo-essay, Pakistani photographer, Hira Munir, ties the history of her family to the history of the Sind region in the aftermath of the Indian partition and the arrival of the Urdu-speaking migrants. She tries to revisit the forgotten layers of her hybrid identity.

Midway: Dhofar War and the Reluctance of Memory

Amir Alikhani

When Amir Alikhani stumbled upon a collection of photographs and letters from his father, revealing his involvement in the Iranian army's operation during the Dhofar War, it ignited his determination to gain a deeper understanding of that historical event and his father's reluctance to discuss it.

Essays

Autoethnography, Narration and Emancipation

Shiva Alinaqian

Toward an Aesthetics of the Epistemologies of the South

Boaventura de Sousa Santos

About Autoethnography: Hunting for Hope

ُShahram Khosravi

Shahram Khosravi is a professor of anthropology at Stockholm University. He mainly focuses on issues of migration, forced displacement and border studies. In this piece, Khosravi writes about autoethnography as a research method and a writing style. He explores the possibilities this method offers to confront the division between North/theory and South/field.

Dialogues

Genocide Kitchen

Samaa Emad Abuallaban

Against Ready-Made Narratives

Asim Rafiqui

Asim Rafiqui was born and raised in Karachi. He is an independent photographer, writer, and researcher who provides a critical examination of his previous profession as a mainstream media reporter. His work can be perceived as a critique of politics of representation in news photography and what is often termed humanitarian journalism. Sarazad sat for an interview with Asim to learn more about his critical views on the ready-made narratives of the media.

Aşît, an Act of Mourning

Pinar Öğrenci

Aşît (2022) is a movie by artist Pinar Öğrenci which was ordered and first screened in documenta fifteen. Öğrenci lives in Berlin and usually focuses on issues of forced displacement. In this movie, she returns to her father’s hometown to take a critical look at the history of the city. Sarazad interviewed the artist to talk about this movie as well as the path that has shaped her artistic practice.

Praxis

Genocide Kitchen

Samaa Emad Abuallaban

I, Nazly, My Father’s Son

Nazly Pourshirmohamad

Somewhere in Between: Retracing Footsteps to My Forgotten Identity

Hira Munir

About Us

We are a small collective made up of individuals from diverse professional fields who felt compelled to establish an independent art space after gaining experience in various artistic environments. In recent years, Iran’s shifting political, social, and economic landscapes have sadly brought news of the closures of many alternative venues, once brimming with thoughts, writings, and gatherings. This has accentuated the pressing need for coming together and engaging in collaborative endeavours. Our journey commenced from casual conversations two years ago, and amidst its ebbs and flows, our bonds solidified, bringing our vision for Sarazad into clearer focus. These ties were not restricted to Sarazad’s founding members. Many joined us, supporting Sarazad’s ethos without any ulterior motives. Our aspiration is not just to nurture these connections but to expand this circle of camaraderie. Sarazad is a unique intersection of amateur passion and professional dedication. Regarding progress, our enthusiasm mirrors that of diligent students enamoured with their work. Financially, we have often leaned on our earnings as educators to fuel our dreams.