The Suite (212) Sessions, no. 9 - Abbas Zahedi

In the wake of the coronavirus epidemic and shutting down of much of the UK's cultural life, we have decided to bring you a series of interviews with contemporary artists, writers, filmmakers and other cultural figures, conducted via Skype (so apologies for the diminished audio quality), about their practices, the political issues that inspire them and the socio-economic conditions that have shaped their work. In the ninth of these Sessions, Juliet talks to Abbas Zahedi – a London-based artist whose work combines social practice, performance, installation, moving image, institution-building and writing. Working with migrant and marginalised communities in the UK, he explores the concept of neo-diaspora, looking at how personal and collective histories interweave. Here, they discuss Zahedi’s solo exhibition at the South London Gallery – currently suspended due to the Covid-19 crisis – as well as his contribution to the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017. They also talk about art as a means of dealing with trauma and loss; art as a way of exploring cultural heritage; the role of food, drink and community spaces in Zahedi’s work; the nature of the art school; the impact of the War on Terror on his career; and how the art world may indicate what the post-crisis phase of neoliberalism looks like, as well as the implications of art moving online. A full list of references for the programme, with links, can be found via our Patreon at www.patreon.com/suite212, and are available to $3 subscribers.