In this episode of FORA Dialogues, we are joined by Farah Piriye Coene, London-based independent curator, art consultant, cultural producer, and co-founder of Zeitgeist19, in a conversation on curating, borders, ecology, and the role of art in shaping new forms of collective awareness. Our starting point is ‘AS ABOVE, SO BELOW’, the collateral event of the 61st International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, opening on the island of Giudecca. Developed in collaboration with One Ocean Foundation, the exhibition unfolds through sound, installation, moving image, and speculative technologies to explore the ocean not only as an environmental subject, but as a site of memory, intelligence, and interconnectedness. Farah reflects on her early curatorial experiences, including co-curating an exhibition of Tahir Salahov at Sotheby’s London, as well as on perestroika, shifting borders, alphabet changes, identity, belonging, and transformation. The conversation traces the underrepresented histories of Azerbaijani nonconformist artists, the dynamic cultural landscape of the Caucasus and Central Asia, and curating as a practice of building bridges across fragmented worlds. Further discussed is the interdisciplinary vision behind Zeitgeist19, founded together with Elizabeth Zhivkova as a platform bringing together art, science, technology, and environmental thought. Through projects such as ‘Fragile Frontiers’ and ‘AS ABOVE, SO BELOW’, Farah speaks about translating complex realities into emotional and collective experience, and considers listening as a curatorial method. The episode also moves through the participating artists and installations of the Venetian project, from Almagul Menlibayeva's cybertextile, and Suad Gara’s meditation on the disappearing Caspian Sea to bioacoustic works by Elnara Nasirli and Antoine Bertin, alongside reflections on sound, fungal networks, marine intelligence, and ecological memory. We are happy to introduce this new format in our program through a series of conversations, bringing together artists, curators, and cultural practitioners from the Caucasus and Central Asia. Given the cultural diversity and historical complexity of the region we work with, some of our conversations will take place in languages that are most natural to our speakers. At the same time, to ensure accessibility for our audience, each episode will be accompanied by subtitled video formats available on our YouTube channel. Read more on this conversation at fora-gallery.com Check available works by the artist on artsy.net
