Tehran: A Gateway Wandering Beyond
Episode 22 of the TIMEZONES podcast series, initiated and produced by Norient, comes from Tehran and is an introspection on where an artist or artistic journey finds its existence – where it starts and ends, how it emerges, unfolds, or even falls into silence. Produced by the Khamoosh collective and participatory research project, this episode features artists of diverse communities who reflect on their ways of living and on their practice.
Tehran is at the crossroads for the stories told in this episode – whether as a place to return to or escape from. Members of Khamoosh reflect on the question: who is an artist? They do so through letters, conversations, interviews, and by holding space for one another. Sonic elements emerge from a collective effort, drawing from the group’s rich sonic archive.
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Full English transcript of episode 22
Credits
A podcast by Khamoosh
Participating members:
Golnoosh Heshmati (curation, recording, research, interviews)
Khorshid Parsi (research)
Maryam Fazeli (sound production)
Maryam Ramezankhani (research, recording, interviews)
pantea (recording, research, sound production)
Ramin Mahmoudi (research, recording, interviews)
Saghar Afzalnia (translations)
Produced by Norient
Featuring: Fatemeh, Sadra Amouei, Phaaroos, Shirine Moasser, Khamoosh
Complete list of sound credits used in the episode
Artistic Editor: Abhishek Mathur
Project Management: Abhishek Mathur
Outreach/Press: Janina Neustupny
Video Trailer: Karrl
Additional Images: Amirhossein Heshmati
Jingle Voiceover: Nana Akosua Hanson
Jingle Mix: Daniel Jakob
Mastering: Adi Flück, Centraldubs
Artwork: Šejma Fere
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Featured Artists
Khamoosh is a participatory artistic research project that mediates conservation and restoration by exploring the sonic heritage of Iran through recorded sounds of everyday life; sounds less heard or even silenced. Their methodology is guided by an ongoing process of learning by doing, community-based participation, collective artistic practice, and research as a network. They come together in the shared intimacy of sound through the tools of technology and time. Hearing the relationship between sound and language is an ongoing process formed by both well-known and unknown contributors as well as by non-humans, broadening the listening sphere of their extended collective. Their combined practices include music, anthropology, linguistics, and audiovisual design. Follow them on Instagram.
Fatemeh, born in 1957, is a calligrapher based in Tehran who prefers to remain anonymous. She studied medical laboratory at Tehran University and worked as a medical laboratory technician for 37 years. After retiring, she started calligraphy.
Phaaroos is an artist who fluidly navigates between the north and south of Iran. Sometimes, he creates sculptures, and other times, he writes poetry.
Sadra Amouei is a performer and actor based in Babolsar and Tehran. He holds a bachelor's degree in acting and directing from Bahonar University of Kerman and is currently pursuing a master's degree in acting at the University of Art in Tehran. Follow him on Instagram.
Shirine Moasser, born 1963, is a painter and textile designer based in Tehran. She studied Persian miniature painting under Abbas Moayyeri's supervision and pursued painting at Beaux-Arts de Paris and textile design at École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle. Follow her on Instagram.
Images of Tehran and surrounding regions by Amirhossein Heshmati
Amirhossein Heshmati, born in Tehran in 1961, is a photographer and electrical engineer. He captures both realistic and abstract elements of nature, inspired by his mountaineering in the Alborz Mountains, while also documenting Iran's diverse urban and natural landscapes. Follow him on Instagram.
Get more insights on Iran and the Iranian Diaspora on Norient.
Online contributions: read, listen, and watch more on the Norient digital archive.
Klangteppich Magazin a printed edition of the ongoing collaboration with Berlin-based Klangteppich festival and archive of lively perspectives on contemporary music-making in Iran and the Iranian diaspora.
Trailer
by Karrl
The TIMEZONES podcast series plunges into the world of artists and their practices, asking: what does living and working in culture and the arts involve in different countries, cities, and contexts today? The artists’ thoughts on their moods, their social, political, and intellectual realities and their philosophies (of life) have been worked up into experimental audio collages.
The podcasts run the gamut of formats and content, from straight journalism to experimental and documentary approaches, ethnography and fiction, sound art, and improvisation. The Timezones series endeavors to create new artistic forms of storytelling, listening and exchange across the boundaries of geography, time zones, genres, and practices.
Biography
Khamoosh is a participatory artistic research project that mediates conservation and restoration by exploring the sonic heritage of Iran through recorded sounds of everyday life; sounds less heard or even silenced. Their methodology is guided by an ongoing process of learning by doing, community-based participation, collective artistic practice, and research as a network. They come together in the shared intimacy of sound through the tools of technology and time.
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Published on July 28, 2025
Last updated on August 10, 2025
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