This December, Persian multidisciplinary artist Firouz FarmanFarmaian unveils a new series of works in a 7-day multi-event week in Manhattan. Following successful presentations during London FRIEZE and Paris fall, the travelling exhibition “Nomads of Persia” reaches its zenith in New York City.

Through multi-venue exhibitions from Lincoln Center to Tribeca, FarmanFarmaian reconnects with the nomadic cultures of his heritage and birthplace, despite his family’s continued exile from Iran’s regime.

“Contemporary art is finally revealing itself in nomadic form, mirroring the post-globalized cultural sphere where reconnections of craft and timeless tradition clash with contemporary transformative visions, cultural conjunctions, overlapping borders and the fusion of identities–powerfully interconnecting and creating the base for a planetary journey.”

The program includes immersive experiences and a creative-performative journey across multiple venues, such as the Furman Gallery at Lincoln Center, the Museum of Arts and Design and Tribeca’s Salomon Arts Gallery, all unfolding within the same week. The series begins with the US debut of FarmanFarmaian’s experimental rock ensemble FORRM at Soho Playhouse on December 9.

The exhibition “Nomads of Persia” seamlessly blends printmaking, textile production, immersive sound, video, and AI-generated sequences, creating a dynamic and multi-sensory experience. This artistic journey culminates at the Salomon Arts Gallery as a fusion of diasporic cultures and a celebration of the artist’s diverse creative practices.

The show challenges traditional narratives and celebrates the endangered heritage of Persian tribal cultures. Through a multi-format approach, including textiles, prints, paintings, videos, sound and AI-powered digital art, Firouz FarmanFarmaian explores the nomadic spirit and its contemporary relevance.

AI is pushed to new forms in a breakthrough multidisciplinary live artwork at the Museum of Arts and Design on the evening of December 12. The audience will be immersed in a performative experience, with FarmanFarmaian’s FORRM engaging in creative-visual dialogue powered by NY-based digital art studio Interactive Items.

Braving the boundaries of generative art in a cross-format approach, FarmanFarmaian partners with Interactive Items to develop a first-time complex, high-tech process. Raw footage from his upcoming arthouse docu-film PATH will feed into generative AI sequences triggering “hallucinatory episodes”.

The “paintover” process—a signature technique of the artist—incorporates archival materials into contemporary textures, displayed at the Furman Gallery (Lincoln Center) pop-up exhibition from December 10 to 12. Talks and live performances will also accompany the show.

On Monday December 9, FORRM’S NYC debut will feature interactive video projections by Alexander Korneev and guest act Strange Majik. Coinciding with the band’s upcoming GALACTICA album release, the performance introduces a limited-edition 12” vinyl—doubling as a collectible artwork—available in an exclusive run of 100 copies.

Website: www.werthenomads.com
Instagram: @firouzfarmanfarmaian @werthenomads @forrm_official