EDUCATION

Goldsmiths College, University of London — Master of Fine Art. 2006 – 2008
Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (KABK) Royal College of Art, The Hague — BA Fine Art. 2002 – 2006

EXPERIENCE

Independent Artist
2008 – PRESENT. Full Time

PROJECTS

UPCOMING

Amsterdam Museum Refresh II.

2023

• Presentation at De Appel art center Amsterdam together with Raul Balai on engage in personal experiences of alienation by the society at large and how it affects the knowledge and awareness of self.
• Publication at Metropolis M Magazine: ‘On Connection and Empathy‘ in conversation with Eli Witteman about my work and research in the past 1,5 years in borders of EU: Greece.
• Studium Generale Rietveld Academy lecture on Refugee Monument proposal for The Spread of Mo(nu)ment project curated by Simon(e) van Saarloos in collaboration with Taak Amsterdam.

2022

• Participation in Biënnale Gelderland and P1 project. Link. (The hosting museums decided to cancel the biennale.)

• Filmed for ‘Stichting Vluchteling’ (Largest Dutch NGO for supporting refugees worldwide)
• Filmed for EO Dutch TV for a documentary about Ingeborg Beugel, the Dutch correspondent for ‘De Groene Amsterdammer Magazine.
• Video statement for MKZ, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany, during Artists at Risk conference.
• Became member of Artists at Risk international board of advisors.
• Working with Raul Balai for a similar to ‘Refugee on Trial’ project with AGA Lab & Podium Mozaiek.
• Working with Isshaq Albarbari on ‘Mujawaarah’ (gathering and neighbouring). An ongoing project at Oude Kerk.
• Worked on ‘Refugee Monument proposal’ for Simon(e) van Staarloos commission for PAKT project ‘Spreading of Mo(nu)ments’ to be launched at the end of 2022.

2021

• 5 months’ research period for independent documentary film in refugee camps of Greece.
• Photography and research for De Groene Amsterdammer article about the visit of EU parliamentarian Tineke Strik to research pushbacks and new asylum-seekers centres in Greek Islands.
• Directed, filmed and edited four KOMBIJ1 TV talk show.
• Join creative team of BIJ1. Filmed, directed and edited six videos about candidates.

2020

• My Protection and Your Safety. A series of five testimonial videos and research about the migration policy of the Netherlands towards Sudanese asylum-seekers. The research was published as an article in De Groene Amsteradmmer magazine.
• Teaching ‘Art of Justice’ to undocumented asylum-seekers in collaboration with ASKV.
• Lockdown and Eviction. Performances and storytelling about my eviction during the lockdown. Documented on digital video and shared on social media. The work resulted in published articles and a motion in Amsterdam municipality that temporary prohibited evictions.

2019

• Migration Quiz at the Balie. Quiz performance about migration and refugee policies.
• Guest Studio / Air Berlin Alexanderplatz Residency Berlin mid-end 2019 via Mondriaan Fonds
• ‘Refugee on Trial’ production: one years research, script writing, casting and rehearsals. First performance found place on Nov. at Pakhuis de Zwijger.

2018

Group performance Dr Strange Love at Tropen Institute

A week of performance laboratory and presentation in ‘Bon-Gah’ Iran / Tehran, end July-August.

Residency at ‘The Vessel’ in Puglia, Italy, September.

Organizing and giving week of performance workshop in relation to upcoming performance project Dr StrangeLove in Amsterdam.

Summer school for performance ‘WE LIVE HERE 2018’ on ‘What-If-Then’ with Orion Maxted by BAU.

Keti Koti (Break the Chain) Cinema at liberation from slavery / Keti Koti Festival Amsterdam.

2017

Round Heads and Pointed Heads performance series at ‘Ideology Meets implementation’ group exhibition at W139 Amsterdam. October-End November. Organised by Pendar Nabipour.

Lecture performance at ‘Archives and Disobedience’ at ‘Print Room Rotterdam’ curated by Margaret Tali.

Filming and directing 24 hours ‘Keti-Koti Dialogue Table 4’. The dialogue table is a one hour conversation per due for 24 hours. The dialogues are about forms of contemporary slavery and discrimination and progressive ways of emancipation finding place each year at the commemoration of abolition of slavery day at Osterpark Amsterdam. Keti-Koti dialogue table is initiated by Mercedes Zandwijken.

Filming and directing video documentation of ‘Code Rode’: Climate activist group. A public disobedience action of temporary occupation of fossil coal centre in Amsterdam port.

Performance of Haka, Māori culture dance, at ‘Guess Who Is Coming For Dinner Too’ by Patricia Kaersenhout at WOW Amsterdam.

Speaker at ‘Movies That Matter on Tour 2017’ program about ‘Raving Iran’ film in Criterion Amsterdam, Film House Den Haag, Natlab Eindhoven and Breda.

Hinterland after Stage for Tragedy installation at two performances at ‘Post-Peace’ group exhibition at Stuttgart Kunstverein. February- May 2017. Curated by Katia Krupennikova.

2016

Improvisation performance at ‘Curie City Warsaw’.

Lecture and presentation at occupy theatre Palermo.

Lecture and presentation at ‘Cafe Internationale’ in Palermo.

Two weeks residency at ‘Vessel Bari’ in Italy.

Directing and performing Polacy! Citizens and Refugees during residency at Ujazdowski Center of Contemporary Art Warsaw.

Filming and directing 24 hours ‘Keti-Koti Dialogue Table 3’. The dialogue table is a one hour conversation per due for 24 hours. The dialogues are about forms of contemporary slavery and discrimination and progressive ways of emancipation finding place each year at the commemoration of abolition of slavery day at Osterpark Amsterdam. Keti-Koti dialogue table is initiated by Mercedes Zandwijken.

Cinedome presentation and performance at ‘Hongerige Wolf Festival’ with FAUT HAUT band

Working together with ‘We Are Here’, stateless refugee collective Amsterdam, towards more public programs

Cinedome presentation in collaboration with Network Democracy and participation in Europe By People Festival. Network Democracy is initiated by Josien Pieterse.

Who’s Archive lecture at Riga Centre of Contemporary Art on archive and power. Invited by Inga Lace.

Hinterland, After Stage for Tragedy at group exhibition ‘Post-Peace’ exhibition was censored at Akbank Sanat Istanbul. Curated by Katia Krupennikova.

2015

Re-initiation of Anonymous Stateless Immigrants Pavilion in Venice.

Refugee Monument installation at Maxim Gorki Theater, during group exhibition ‘Berliner Herbsts Salon II’.

Filming and directing 24 hours ‘Keti-Koti Dialogue Table 2’. The dialogue table is a one hour conversation per due for 24 hours. The dialogues are about forms of contemporary slavery and discrimination and progressive ways of emancipation finding place each year at the commemoration of abolition of slavery day at Osterpark Amsterdam. Keti-Koti dialogue table is initiated by Mercedes Zandwijken.

Lecture performance at ‘Alternative Artist’s Narrative on Iran’ at Framer Framed organised by Cineblend.

Panel discussion about the ‘Voice over North’ project and art in public space at Framer Framed.

Voice over North performance series at public bus in Amsterdam North as part of ‘Crisis of History III’ at Framer Framed. Curated by Elham Puriyamehr (Iran) and Robert Kluijver.

Programming, screening and conversation about ‘Film as Subversive Art’. Four weekend of film programs at Goleb.

Participation in ‘New University’ of Amsterdam at Occupy University of Amsterdam.

Mini Film Festival at Francis Boeske Projects short video of Iran video diary, chapter four: A Visit to My Father.

Went back to Iran after 14 years.

2014

Marrakech Biennale Urban Fablab Project.

Cinecycle installation and performance at Eye Film Festival, part of ‘In and Out Japan’ curated by Julian Ross.

Filming and directing 24 hours ‘Keti-Koti Dialogue Table 1’. The dialogue table is a one hour conversation per due for 24 hours. The dialogues are about forms of contemporary slavery and discrimination and progressive ways of emancipation finding place each year at the commemoration of abolition of slavery day at Osterpark Amsterdam. Keti-Koti dialogue table is initiated by Mercedes Zandwijken.

Film as Subversive Art film screenings at Gemak The Hague part of LOCUS group exhibition curated by Pendar Nabipour.

Black TV video performance at Gemak The Hague part of LOCUS group exhibition curated by Pendar Nabipour.

‘TV dome installation’ at Gemak The Hague part of LOCUS group exhibition.

CINEDOME: three weekends of film performance at CINEDOME at Erassmus park Amsterdam

Cinecycle installation and performance at Uitmarkt The Hague with Movies That Matters

2013

Pirate Cinema: Public program of ‘Portable Nation’ exhibition at Maldives Pavilion at 55 Venice Biennale. Film program and two weeks film open air screening in Venice.

THIS IS NOT A FILM FESTIVAl; Self-organised two weekends film festival in Cinedome at Roest Amsterdam.

Cinedome: four weeks of audio-visual performances at Magneet Festival Amsterdam.

Cinedome: one day festival about sustainability at New Energy Docs Amsterdam North.

Initiation of Cinedome project

Lecture about Pirate Cinema project at 6th NECS Graduate Workshop: Moving Images – Imagined Movements: Mobility in/of Film.

2012

Pirate Cinema film screening events at Tolhuistuin Amsterdam.

Pirate Cinema at Wasteland Twinning edition 1 and 2 organised by W139.

Pirate Cinema at Magneet Festival Amsterdam for four weekends.

Pirate Cinema at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) in collaboration with Doc Next Network: film screening of young filmmakers (Selected by Doc Next) at Rembrandtplein Amsterdam.

Pirate Cinema at for Electric Guitar Haven Festival Amsterdam. Street performances with young guitar players.

2011

Performance in Generatie IK en Waar Blijft de Revolutie (Generation I and where stay the Revolution); theatre piece with Fools Army (Self-initiated theatre and action group) at De Balie Amsterdam.

Occupy Amsterdam: Building Information Desk for whole duration of occupy Amsterdam

Lecture performance at Museum Night Amsterdam in collaboration with The Living Room at De Appel Art Centre Amsterdam.

Masterclass at Van AbbeMuseum part of Autonomy Project with Thomas Hirschorn and Hito Steyerl.

Group performance 9/11 Ten Years of Sodom & Gomorrah in collaboration of Anonymous Stateless Immigrants Collective and Acid Police Noise Ensemble at Nutshuis The Hague.

Initiation of Plein Der Beschaving, a gathering place for protests against art austerities at Tolhuistuin Amsterdam.

Lecture performance at Osloo Danish Pavilion about Anonymous Stateless Immigrants Collective at Venice Biennale 54.

Group exhibition ‘The Hand That Feeds You’ at Delta Art Centre The Hague.

2010

Next Root Awareness Festival, Nutshuis Den Haag

Two days of Ping Pong Complaints at ‘Gathering Gathering’ group exhibition in Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven curated by Clare Butcher.

Video screening of Crisis Manager performance at Medrar Contemporary Art Film Festival Cairo.

Video installation of performance who is real? at ‘TOPSY: On Documentation and Perversion’ group show at Six d.o.g.s Athens.

Performance at 48 hours Conference on Art and Activism: what struggle do we have in common? at ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) London. A Brechtian theater organized by Chto delat? (St. Petersburg)

Video screening of Crisis Centre at M4gastateliers Amsterdam.

The very possibility of the artist being buried alive performance in DeltA Centre of Contemporary Art The Hague, part of the group exhibition Black Bile.

Screening of Crisis Centre part of Archipelagos, Parallel Universes Festival by Studio Appo 3 in Nantes, France.

Screening of Who is real? in the exhibition Topsy: On Documentation and Perversion at Sala SAM Gallery in Santiago, Chile.

National Pride Crisis: public space intervention on the queen’s day, part of exhibition You Can Have Your Cake, and

that’s the way cookie crumbles in DeltA Den Haag.

Crisis Centre, initiation of crisis centre headquarter at Epicentrum exhibition at Stichting Centrum Den Haag.

Public School, two weeks residency at Komplot Brussels. Few classes on artistic intervention and reading sessions of “Escape the Overcode, Activist Art in the Control Society”. the article “The Affectivist Manifesto, Artistic Critique in 21st Century” by Brian Holmes

2009

Their Performance / Intervention in Gemeentemuseum The Hague in relation to Shell sponsorship of the museum’s exhibition Cezanne, Picasso, Mondriaan.

ARTIS Den Bosch, two weeks residency for political artist.

Cultuur Taxi / Culture Taxi intervention at Hoogtij (Museum night) The Hague

Ali Likes Museums intervention during Amsterdam night Amsterdam.

For the Love of Losers interactive installation at International Celeste Art Prize Berlin.

Private Democracy at Subvision Kunst Festival Off, Hamburg.

mAssage, group exhibition in Caesar & Koba Gallery, curated by Wiebke Gronemeyer, Hamburg

Curating UNFAIR PROJECT, Off Program Art Amsterdam in De Service Garage, Amsterdam.

2008

Laugh Track, self-organised Off program of Brussels Biennial in curatorial collaboration with Oliver Kandt.

Health & Safety First Priority, performance / intervention at the opening night of Salon Gallery London.

Apocalyptic As Ever, MFA Degree show at Goldsmiths college, London.

Is the World Flat? Curated group exhibition at Maatschappij Arti et Amiticiae Amsterdam

2006

Degree Show KABK, The Hague

Here Kitty Kitty, pre-graduation show Royal College of Art at Stroom The Hague

ehsanfardjadniya[at]gmail.com
Ehsancritique.com

AWARDS

2018: Guest Studio / Air Berlin
Alexanderplatz Residency Berlin
mid-end 2019 via Mondriaan Fonds.

2018: ‘Stipendium for Established Artist’ (Werkbijdragen Bewezen Talent): four years stipend from Mondriaan Fonds.

2017: ‘Development funds’ (Ontwikkeling Budget) for a year for Round Heads and Pointed Heads performance from Amsterdamse fonds voor de Kunsten (AFK).

2013 :AFK & HIVOS FONDS GRAND for Pirate Cinema.

2012 :AFK for Pirate Cinema.

2009 Mondriaan Fonds for UNFAIR PROJECT & Subvision Kunst Festival OFF Hamburg.

2009 Prince Bernhard Cultuurfonds, for UNFAIR PROJECT.

2009 AFK  for UNFAIR PROJECT.

2009 Stroom PRO Subsidy

2007 / 2008 Stichting Niemijer Fonds for master degree at Goldsmiths College

2006 Winsor & Newton First Art Price. (KABK)

2006 VSB Fonds for Post grad. at Goldsmiths College

2006 Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds for master degree at Goldsmiths College

LANGUAGES

Farsi, Sorani Kudish, English and Dutch.