ZEITGEIST19 Curated Podcast (ZEITGEIST19 Foundation)

About the episode:

In this inspiring conversation, legendary oceanographer and marine explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle guides us through the depths of the ocean, introduces us to the marvels of marine world and the kaleidoscope of life within it and explains its intricate relationship with all of us. From the ancient role of water to the impacts of climate change on the land and sea, with her powerful storytelling Her Deepness connects us to the splendour and the awe of our ‘blue heart’, portraying its immense value and why this may be the best and last chance that we may have ever got to safeguard it.

The speaker:

Dr. Sylvia Earle is one of the most celebrated ocean advocates of our times, she devoted her life to ocean exploration and conservation. Through her scientific research and environmental stewardship, Sylvia is one of the first women ever exploring to protect Earth’s blue heart and all of its treasures. She has been a National Geographic Explorer at Large (formerly Explorer in Residence) since 1998. Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and was named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998. Since 2009, through her Mission Blue initiative, Sylvia has encouraged communities and governments all over the world to shield marine life that is at risk from human pressures through protected areas she calls Hope Spots under her program Mission Blue. These are areas of the oceans designated as vital to the preservation of species in order to achieve the UN 30x30 goal that aims to protect at least 30% of todays ocean space.

Mission Blue has identified Canyon of Caprera, a project led by One Ocean Foundation, as a Hope Spot in support of elevating its protection to an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) with an eye on an eventual designation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation

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Episode summary: What is principal to an art institution when it comes to big commitments such as commissioning? To what extent museums can contribute to the discourse about socio-ecological emergencies and How to remain relevant if people can’t physically visit the space? In this week’s episode, Suad Garayeva-Maleki, the Artistic Director of YARAT Contemporary Art Space in Baku, Azerbaijan, dives into the interdisciplinary universe of a contemporary art institution and the Politics of Ecology, Social practice and Humanocentrism. In this bold and crucial conversation Suad talks about a museum as a place where people come together and think together, where international artists arrive to create a work in response to regional context in order to become easily translatable to the local communities, and where ambitious projects should be realised focusing on eco- aesthetics and critical social issues.

About the speaker: Suad Garayeva-Maleki is the Artistic Director of YARAT Contemporary Art Space, Baku, Azerbaijan. YARAT is a not-for-profit institution with 3 exhibition venues, an international artist residency and a multidisciplinary public and education programme, including lectures, workshops, and festivals. Suad has worked on special commissions and projects by artists such as Goshka Macuga, Neil Beloufa, Hannah Black, Oscar Murillo, Vajiko Chachkhiani, Taus Makhacheva, Babi Badalov, Aida Mahmudova, Pedro Gomez-Egaña, Ilkin Huseynov, Zamir Suleymanov and others, as well as numerous thematic group shows. She also curated "The Union of Fire and Water"- YARAT's critically acclaimed Collateral Event at the 56th Venice Biennale in Palazzo Barbaro with Almagul Menlibayeva and Rashad Alakbarov. Her curatorial activity includes independent projects such as Mike Nelson's "Cloak" for Nouveau Musee National de Monaco (2016) and "It's OK to Change Your Mind: Contemporary Russian Art from the Gazprombank Collection" for MAMbo, Bologna (2018). Prior to joining YARAT in 2014, she was a specialist at Sotheby’s London where she curated groundbreaking exhibitions “At The Crossroads: Contemporary Art from Caucasus and Central Asia” (2013) and “At The Crossroads 2: Art from Istanbul to Kabul” (2014), as well as heading up the “Contemporary East” sales. She was a faculty member at Istituto Europeo di Design Venice in 2015-2016 and is a PhD candidate at the European Graduate School, Saas Fee.

Hosts: Farah Piriye and Elizabeth Zhivkova

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About the episode:

In this episode we have the pleasure to meet Vincent Doumeizel, a Senior Advisor on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact, a co-leader of the Seaweed Coalition and an author of the insightful book The Seaweed Revolution. In this positive conversation Vincent tells us how seaweed has shaped our past and can save our future and what are the natural big scale opportunities it provides for tackling Climate Change, making us reconsider our relationship with this forgotten treasure and a source of hope. As well, Vincent shares more about his newly launched Plankton Manifesto - a call for plankton-based solutions to address the Triple Planetary Crisis (biodiversity, climate & pollution), and about his participation at The Earthshot Prize 2024.

The speaker:

Vincent Doumeizel is a Senior Advisor at the UN Global Compact for Oceans, founder of the Global Seaweed Coalition, and author of The Seaweed Revolution and The Plankton Manifesto.

During Earthshot Week 2024, in partnership with the Global Seaweed Coalition, two pivotal events were held that brought together key stakeholders in the sustainable seaweed industry. Hosted by Vincent Doumeizel and Chris Large, Director for Prize and Portfolio at The Earthshot Prize, the event demonstrated that incredible work is already underway to drive the seaweed sector forward.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation

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Episode Summary:

The current episode is co-hosted with our former guest speaker Simon Butler, a curator, artist and founder of MigrateArt, a platform that helps those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. Together we meet Ken Nwadiogby, a Nigerian artist whose artistic research is focused on gender equality, African culture, and Black power. Ken was named by Guardian Life as one of the most “Outstanding Personalities of 2019” in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian arts community.

In this candid conversation we discuss how Ken is utilising his practice as a tool for social change, raising awareness of such themes as racism, police brutality, sexism, xenophobia and more. Ken shares his thoughts on cultural revolution, how to respond back to society when it speaks to us, what it means to be a Nigerian artist in today’s climate and how Contemporealism, a new method of visual communication coined by the artist himself, was born.

The Speaker:

Ken Nwadiogbu (b. 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) is a visual artist who creates innovative conceptual drawings on various surfaces as he engages in multidisciplinary modes of storytelling. Nwadiogbu earned a B.Sc. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His interest in art, as well as his career began while he earned his degree despite no formal training. Inspired by issues relating to him and those around, he began creating works that reflect the everyday struggles of people, with the hopes of making a change in his community. Popularly known as KenArt, Nwadiogbu is credited for introducing the “Contemporealism” movement and is constantly revitalising his practice by challenging modes of Black representation. A core focus for Nwadiogbu is to inspire and encourage young creatives. He does this through public speaking and mentorship, as well as through his creative companies; Artland Contemporary Limited and KINGS Management. He nurtures an art collective called ‘Title Deed’ and co-found Artists Connect NG, the largest artist gathering in Nigeria, created to foster creativity, collaboration and community.

Follow Ken's journey on Instagram

The Co-Host:

Simon Butler is a curator, social entrepreneur and artist based in London. He founded Migrate Art in 2016 after visiting the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France for the first time. This poignant experience inspired him to use his years of experience in the art world to help those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. To date, Migrate Art has raised over £550,000, helped thousands of people across Europe and the Middle East and worked with some of the world's leading artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Raqib Shaw.

Host: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this episode our co-founder Elizabeth speaks with Svein Tveitdal - a climate expert and activist, former UN Environmental Director and founder of Klima2020. The conversation raises a red alert on the environmental catastrophe and encourages a better more eco-responsible future. Mr. Tveitdal shares effective and quick ways of tackling climate change and his thoughts on the strong role and impact of young people on environmental policy. “If we had listened to scientists 30 years ago, we wouldn't have had a big problem like we have now,” says Svein Tveitdal.

The Speaker:

Svein Tveitdal is a Norwegian climate change activist, a former director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and a present director of the climate change consultancy Klima2020. Tveitdal founded Klima2020 to share advice with companies and local authorities who want to implement environmentally-responsible changes with the objective to "bridge the gap between climate science, policy makers and the general public.”

Follow Svein Tveitdal's journey on Twitter

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

With the start of our new season we have the pleasure to meet the legendary American experimental theatre stage director, playwright and visual artist - Robert (Bob) Wilson just after turning 80, during his directing of Shakespeare's The Tempest at Sofia's National Theatre. Wilson tell us why 'speaking' Shakespeare is different, what makes a great actor and how he merges his senses with various shapes of expression, hearing the space and silence. He shares about his inspiring community driven initiative The Watermill Center and his hopes and vision for a fair and equal future and freedom of creation.

The Speaker:

Robert Wilson (born Oct. 4, 1941, Waco, Texas, U.S.) is an American avant-garde theatre stage director and playwright who has been described by The New York Times as "the world's foremost vanguard 'theatre artist.' Wilson is best known for his collaboration with Philip Glass and Lucinda Childs on Einstein on the Beach, and his collaborations with talented artists amongst which Tom Waits, Marina Abramovic, Lou Reed and Lady Gaga. In 1992, Wilson established The Watermill Center, functioning as a 'laboratory of inspiration and performance' in Long Island, New York.

Follow Bob Wilson's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, co-hosted with MdA Design Agency, we meet architect, researcher and film producer Bahanur Nasya. She talks about how we can improve the conditions for people living in rural and coastal areas, meanwhile delving deeper into the notion of ’togetherness’ and suggesting new ways of being and feeling more connected. Bahanur grasps into what strengthens social freedom and cultural diversity, simultaneously stepping away from vicious old-world hierarchies.

*In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

The Speaker:

Bahanur Nasya is an architect, researcher and film producer. She has studied in Vienna and Barcelona where she has specialised in sustainable architecture and future proof development concepts. Currently she is involved in a research project focusing on coastal and rural development targeting environmental and social impact. She has produced films, documentaries and fiction movies. She is the Chairwoman of the Association "xsentrikarts" and leads Wonderland – platform for European architecture.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova

Co-host: Maddalena d'Alfonso, MdA Design Agency

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EPISODE SUMMARY.

On this episode of ZEITGEIST 19, Ibrahim Mahama speaks with us about his deep research on communities, the relationship between culture and nature, his perspective on the role of the artist, creative freedom and more.

THE SPEAKER.

Ibrahim Mahama was born in Tamale, Ghana in 1987. A central feature of his artistic practice is the utilization and transformation of materials to explore themes of commodity, migration, colonialism, globalisation and economic exchange.

EPISODE NOTES.

ZEITGEIST 19 invites you to consider the current fraught and uncertain socio-cultural climate through the lens of ‘conscious’ art. An art that identifies the crisis and addresses it, that analyses and rethinks its social impact, whilst conveying weighty social and political concepts relevant to our times. “My hope,” says Ibrahim Mahama, “is to start conversations at a time when there are very few meaningful ones.” Mahama is a contributor, continuously addressing a plethora of relevant socioecological aspects, he creates a body of work outside the limits of the physical realm that has a strong visual and immersive power, boosting global conversations and mitigating social structures; a ‘hopeful’ practice that thinks of the future by turning to the past.

CURATED TALK.

Our curated talk with Ibrahim Mahama took place on the 7th of October, 2019 at the historic N'Ombra de Vin in Milan. As well, we fundraised and benefited the Haduwa Arts & Culture Institute in Apam, Ghana - an open institution, for independent artistic, cultural, and pedagogic experimentation.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

At ZG19 we believe that the New Year should start with revisiting our relationship with nature and our planet, because we ARE the planet, an integral part of our ecosystem. This is why our first episode in 2023 is dedicated to an acclaimed SuperNatural exhibition at the Eden Project, a cross-disciplinary cultural leader, that runs till 26 February. The show brings together a range of international artists, including Ai Weiwei, Kedisha Coakley, Iman Datoo, Patricia Domínguez, Ingela Ihrman and Eduardo Navarro, who explore humankind’s ever-evolving understanding of ourselves as a part of the natural world, the interdependencies between humans and plants, and the systems that inform our varying perspectives. In this interview the Senior curator Misha Curson and curator Hannah Hooks guide us through the exhibitions, mentioning global cultural activism, and stating that in order to develop a planet fit for the future, we need to nurture creative perspectives. Other two ladies that join the conversation are Iman Datoo and Patricia Dominguez. While an interdisciplinary artist Datoo expands on her curious practice that brings together botany and cartography, Domínguez tells us how she merges socio-political and economic matters with mysticism and ancient botanical knowledge.

About Eden Project:

Owned by the Eden Trust, the Eden Project is a global arts, science and educational charity with a social and environmental mission: to create a movement that builds relationships between people and the natural world to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things. Eden champions creativity and critical thinking, and presents thoughtful and thought-provoking cross-disciplinary cultural, community and education programmes on-site and across local and national communities. Founded as a Millennium Project in 2001, Eden welcomes over one million visitors each year, it has a digital reach of several million and as Eden Project establishes new sites across the UK and in China, Australia and New Zealand, its reach is growing. Eden is at the forefront of emerging cultural practices in regeneration, conservation, sustainability, horticulture, architecture, community outreach and education. The organisation has an extensive network of scientific expertise and partners at leading local, national and international universities and research bodies.The world-famous Biomes house a living ethno-botanical collection. To date Eden has commissioned and exhibited such world-revered and diverse artists as El Anatsui, Wolfgang Buttress, Hayden Dunham, Ryan Gander, Jenny Kendler, Julian Opie, Peter Randall-Page, Tim Shaw and Studio Swine. Eden is a hybrid of gallery, museum, garden, venue, laboratory and university – a cross-disciplinary cultural leader for the 21st century, uniquely placed to offer transformative opportunities to artists engaged with social-environmental subjects.

Follow Eden Project 's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

Just before Christmas our co-founder Farah Piriye hosts a candid conversation with British artist and sculptor Piers Secunda, who’s intensive research based practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make works. Discussing how art can be a social vehicle that shifts perceptions and conversations on diplomatic arena, Secunda shares with us why his latest body of work is built around the iconoclastic acts of the Islamic extremist group Isis and the destructions caused by Taliban in Afghanistan; and how he is detaching a painting from its traditional restraints as an extension of the Modernist painting practice, in artist's own words “taking a paint for a walk” and creating a work that reflects "upon the noise of the world outside the studio bubble”.

About the Speaker:

Piers Secunda was born in London in 1976 and studied painting at Chelsea College of Art in London. Secunda has developed a studio practice using paint in a sculptural manner, rejecting the limitations imposed by the canvas. His intensive research based practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make works. And using crude oil as a printing medium, to examine energy history through post industrial revolution developments, both cultural and technological, which define our world today.

Host: Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In line with the new partial lockdown in Italy, in collaboration with MdA Design Agency, in this episode we meet Marco Minoja, the Cultural Director of Comune di Milano - the Municipality of Milan. We will discuss how Milan and its cultural scene are dealing with the pandemic and what are the new ways for re-thinking the museum system in a critical moment of a transparent diagnosis of its fragile parts. Marco speaks to us about the need of cultural mosaic and the importance of multiculturalism.

Is Cultural Mosaic an Utopia?

How Milan and its cultural scene is dealing with the pandemic?

How can the museum system be restructured?

The Speaker:

Marco Minoja is the Cultural Director of Comune di Milano. Since 2018 he is taking care of the cultural heritage of the city; over 20 civic museums, 35 libraries, historic buildings, exhibitions and entertainment activities. Previously he directed the regional offices of MiBACT in Lombardy and Sardinia. Before joining MiBACT he worked as a museum curator and an independent professional, conducting archaeological excavations and research studies.

In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

Co-host: Maddalena D’Alfonso, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary:

30 meters below earth there is a place where time stands still - the Ruinart chalk cellars, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Deep inside it, where once there used to be an ocean, we are confronted by the origin of our existence, returning back to the source. In this episode we are interviewing environmental artists Maya Mouawad and Cyril Laurier, known as Mouawad Laurier duo, on the occasion of their sustainable installation commissioned by Maison Ruinart, Retour Aux Sources, marking the beginning of the 10-year countdown to the 300th anniversary of the champagne house. The artistic project brings data, artificial intelligence and the living world together in an immersive experience, submerging the audience into a visual and sound encounter underground. Maya and Cyril share with us more about the essence of their artistic practice and their work Retour Aux Sources with which they are ''striving to reconnect with our roots, those at our very core.'' We go back to the origin and question the role of technology in art, the interdependence of our eco system and the way we perceive ourselves in relation to nature. Moreover, the collective gives us a hint about their upcoming project Rising, inspired by our concerns about climate change and the raising level of the Ocean, another crucial and defining multilayered body of work for Mouawad Laurier.

The Speakers:

Mouawad Laurier is the collective name for two artists who work and live together. Maya Mouawad and Cyril Laurier have been collaborating on innovative artistic projects together around the world for many years, working with other artists under the name Hand Coded. They now sign their own work under their real names. In partnership with Pablo Valbuena, they were pioneers of video mapping and have continued along this path, collaborating with leading video mapping artists such as AntiVJ and Romain Tardy.

Maya Mouawad is an environmental artist. The aim of her work is to question the place of machines in our modern world: how can these machines affect human behaviour, how can they change the way we perceive ourselves in relation to nature? Her installations often involve the use of new technologies, generative light systems. She has created her own generative light control software.

Cyril Laurier is a music composer. He has researched ways to detect emotions in music using machine learning and has published his work in journals, books and conferences. He now applies his knowledge of artificial intelligence to art installations, making sentient machines that question our relationship with technology and nature.

Follow Mouawad Laurier's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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EPISODE SUMMARY.

On this episode of ZEITGEIST 19, Peter Pichler has a coffee with us as he discusses the role of architecture and its potential for a greener future.

THE SPEAKER.

An architect, winner of the LICC award ‘Artist of the Year' and a former student of Zaha Hadid, Peter Pichler is a leading voice in the cutting edge design and building industry.

“There has to be a radical change - to think different and to build different.”

CURATED TALK.

Our curated talk with Peter Pichler took place in April 2019 at the historic N'Ombra de Vin in Milan. As well, we fundraised and benefited CrowdForest for re-planting Italian forests, damaged by wildfires, with drones.

Episode Summary:

The first episode of our novel season The New Leviathan, that is grounded in many conversations capturing this moment of history, with its focal point on the relationship between individuals and technologies, is an intimate chat with three curators of the E-WERK Luckenwalde — Helen Turner, Adriana Tranca and Katharina Worf. The all women curatorial team of the world’s first renewable energy art institution is taking our co-founder and curator Farah Piriye on a journey to a small town 30 miles south of Berlin, in the former East Germany, where this functioning Kunststrom power station that explores ecological and socio- cultural practices is located. As the art world today faces a host of challenges, from monument removal to calls for repatriation, and rethinking museum model hierarchies, the ladies tell us how they envision an art space of the future. While Katharina Worf is introducing us to the concept of slow curating and Adriana Tranca explains how very attentive the audience is to what modern culture has to offer, the artistic director of E-WERK Helen Turner states that one of the fundamental roles of a curator in today’s troubled world is to make contemporary art accessible to the local community.

About E-WERK LUCKENWALDE:

E-WERK Luckenwalde is located in a former coal power station built in 1913, ceasing production in 1989 after the fall of the Berlin wall. Located 30 minutes south of Berlin, E-WERK Luckenwalde is jointly directed by artist Pablo Wendel and curator Helen Turner. In 2017, the art collective Performance Electrics GmbH led by Pablo Wendel acquired the former brown-coal power station with the vision to reanimate it as a sustainable Kunststrom (art power) Kraftwerk to feed power into the national grid by burning locally sources waste wood chips to make electricity, and function as a

large scale contemporary art centre. As part of POWER NIGHT in 2019, Performance.

Follow E-WERK Luckenwalde's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In today’s episode we are diving into the inspiring world of Dr. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Named "One to Watch" by the Financial Times and voted a Future 50 by Icon Magazine, this Cambridge University and Royal College of Art graduate makes artworks that explore our fraught relationships with nature and technology. Through artworks, writing, and curatorial projects, Ginsberg’s work explores subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, conservation, and evolution, as she investigates the human impulse to “better” the world. In this candid conversation we ask Daisy about her ongoing one of a kind interspecies artwork entitled Pollinator Pathmaker that transforms how we see gardens and who we make them for. This conscious art project will come into full bloom for the first time this May at the Eden Project, Cornwall. Further public Pollinator Pathmaker gardens will be planted this year in other locations globally including the Serpentine in London. Meanwhile, anyone in Northern Europe will be able to plant their own garden at home, as well as globally by creating a garden plan at pollinator.art, supported by the Google Arts and Culture Lab.

The Speaker:

Dr. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg is an artist examining our fraught relationships with nature and technology. Through artworks, writing, and curatorial projects, Ginsberg’s work explores subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, conservation, and evolution, as she investigates the human impulse to “better” the world. Ginsberg spent over ten years experimentally engaging with the field of synthetic biology, developing new roles for artists and designers. She is lead author of Synthetic Aesthetics: Investigating Synthetic Biology’s Designs on Nature (MIT Press, 2014), and in 2017 completed Better, her PhD by practice, at London’s Royal College of Art (RCA), interrogating how powerful dreams of “better” futures shape the things that get designed. Ginsberg won the World Technology Award for design in 2011, the London Design Medal for Emerging Talent in 2012, and the Dezeen Changemaker Award 2019. Her work has twice been nominated for Designs of the Year (2011, 2015), with Designing for the Sixth Extinction described as “romantic, dangerous... and everything else that inspires us to change and question the world”. Ginsberg exhibits internationally, including at MoMA New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, the National Museum of China, the Centre Pompidou, and the Royal Academy, and her work is held in museum and private collections. Talks include TEDGlobal, PopTech, Design Indaba, and the New Yorker TechFest. Daisy is a resident at Somerset House Studios, London.

Follow Alexandra's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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We are delighted to kick off our new season during United Nation’s Climate Conference COP29 with an insightful conversation with our co-host, Jan Pachner, a Secretary General of the One Ocean Foundation. Jan firmly makes a call to action for an adequate human response to the threats that have arisen at this decisive turn in history. The fellow ocean defender speaks about our 'magic blue pearl' that we have to care for and protect, the one time chance we have in accelerating ocean solutions and reestablishing peace and harmony with Nature. Jan introduces the opportunities in the blue economy and natural capital for making new waves to a more resilient future.

Born in Austria, Jan Pachner began his career in hotel management. After being a Director of the iconic Hotel Cala di Volpe, a masterpiece of the architect Jacques Couëlle, in 2007 Jan spearheaded the international development of Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. After working for His Highness the Aga Khan, Jan contributed to the establishment of the One Ocean Foundation. Since then, he has played a key role in growing the Foundation's global network and activities, alongside the annual international conference the "Blue Economy Summit". Jan is a co-author of various scientific research publications such as the "Ocean Disclosure Initiative", the first framework dedicated to industries impacts on the ocean. Jan is an Advisor to CDP, a Hope Spot Champion by Dr. Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue for the OOF’s project Canyon of Caprera, with the support of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative, aiming to recognise it to an Important Marine Mammal Area. He serves frequently as a public speaker, periodically teaches at Bocconi University and is a member of The Explorers Club in New York.

One Ocean Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the ocean, focused on innovative research and accelerating climate solutions guided by a multinational scientific committee.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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Episode Summary:

In the aftermath of the attempted Coup at the Capitol, we start the New Year with a strong belief for a profound change, releasing an episode, where we meet Amin Husain and Nitasha Dhillon - members of the action-oriented collective Decolonize This Place. They tell us why they utilise museum spaces as a focal point for resistance, identifying modern day emergencies that drastically unfold in New York and beyond. The DTP's members express their idea on how cultural institutions should function differently and share with us their vision for founding a new society that changes the landscapes of their hometowns through Action.

Who defines art? What is art washing?

Who are the institutions dominating the narrative?

How can we decrease the amount of social injustice in our community?

About Decolonize This Place:

Decolonize this Place (DTP) is an action-oriented movement and decolonial formation in New York City. Facilitated by MTL+, DTP consists of over 30 collaborators, consisting of grassroots groups and art collectives that seek to resist, unsettle, and reclaim the city. The organizing and action bring together many strands of analysis and traditions of resistance: Indigenous insurgence, Black liberation, free Palestine, free Puerto Rico, the struggles of workers and debtors, de-gentrification, migrant justice, dismantling patriarchy, and more. In some cases, we have used cultural institutions as platforms and amplifiers for movement demands, but we do not understand the transformation of these institutions as an end in and of itself. We aim to cultivate a politics of autonomy, solidarity, and mutual aid within a long-term, multi-generational horizon of decolonial, anti-capitalist, and feminist liberation that is animated by Grace Lee Boggs' question: "What time is it on the clock of the world?"

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet Talimka Yordanova, the CEO of the Global Citizen Forum, who speaks with us about the concept of interconnectedness, the consequences of interrupted travelling access and the radical idea of a Global Governance. Talimka shares with us how she envisions the notion of progress by changing the way dialogues are taking place and by building on the conversation through action, subtly pushing the social criterion towards an evolution of the global mind, in order to gradually shape an indestructible homogeneous world.

To what degree can a community mature?

How vast is that space between the 'world of borders' and the 'borderless world'? Where do we locate ourselves within the 'local' environment?

And can one be truly a Global Citizen?

The Speaker:

Talimka Yordanova is the CEO of the Global Citizen Forum. She joined the organization shortly after its inception and has been instrumental in the process of its structuring, management and establishment as an active player in the international civil society. A firm believer in the power of dialogue as a catalyst for action, Tali has designed and implemented numerous initiatives in the space of irregular migration, refugee crises, gender equality, women empowerment, girls education and social entrepreneurship. Working alongside the late Kofi Annan, Tony Blair and Cherie Blair, Jose Manuel Barroso, Irina Bokova, various heads of states and government officials, Robert De Niro, Robin Sharma, Usher, Akon, Wyclef Jean and many more, she has contributed to the evolution of the concept of global citizenship as a cultural hub for cross-sector partnership built on the shared sense of responsibility for the future generations. Prior to her appointment as a CEO, she worked as Head of Development and Government Relations with Arton Capital where she advised a number of governments on the structuring and implementation of alternative foreign direct investment mechanism.Talimka holds a Masters Degree in Political Economy from the London School of Economics.

Follow Talimka's Journey on Instagram

About the GCF:

The Global Citizen Forum is a social action platform built on a community of leaders committed to improving the state of global citizenship for the generations to come. GCF runs a series of events, workshops, experiences and trainings where we focus on challenges and solutions within five adaptive pillars - governance, technology, mobility, sustainability and culture.

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Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet fashion designer Francesca Liberatore, who shares with us her vision on reimagining the world of fashion. She is a firm believer that fashion can be a a platform for positive social good and we have to rethink the way we manufacture and consume fundamentally. Francesca speaks to us about creating new paths which are more considerate for humanity and the environment, eventually slowing down the 'bad habits' of brands and consumers on a global scale.

How can Fashion be more ethical? Why do we need to rethink our relationship with our clothes? Why does Sustainable Fashion matter? What are the near-future solutions for the design sector in a post-pandemic world?

*In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

The Speaker:

Francesca Liberatore is an Italian fashion designer, whose creations have been showcased during New York Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week. Immediately after graduating from Central Saint Martins, she makes her first steps into the industry at Viktor&Rolf, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Brioni ; later on stepping out on her own and winning the prestigious Next Generation Award (2009) with her namesake label. Transcending the borders of pure aesthetics, her artistic practice implements sustainable methods and concepts that provoke our critical thinking about present pressing issues of our time. Meanwhile designing, she has been passing her knowledge as a teacher at the Accademia di Belle Arti and NABA in Milan and Marist College in New York, as well actively being involved with UNIDO, United Nations.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

Co-host: Maddalena d'Alfonso, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary: In this episode we meet green tech entrepreneur Lubomila Jordanova, who shares with us her vision on a carbon neutral and conscientious economy. She is a firm believer that each of us has the power to pave the way to a more sustainable future of the world. Lubomila talks about the most recent challenges in fighting Global Warming and the importance of every small act. She also suggests on how a company can reduce its environmental impact and how her innovative digital platform efficiently assists in re-creating the agenda towards running a more ethical business, gently syncing in harmony with our planet. Why? Simply because there is no plan B for it. Now is the time when we have the opportunity to reshape our economies and support life on Earth.

How to become future-proof? How to be part of the fight against Climate Change?

The Speaker: Lubomila Jordanova is a Bulgarian technological entrepreneur based in Berlin, Germany. She is the founder of Plan A (https://plana.earth), the first Emission Reduction Software which allows businesses to calculate, monitor and reduce their carbon footprint. As well she is a co-founder of GreenTech Alliance movement, putting in touch environmental and technological start-ups with mentors and investors for the sake of a better and more sustainable future for all.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we are interviewing Scottish artist Katie Paterson, on the occasion of the biggest iteration to date of Future Library project in Oslo, and one of her most political works to date, Requiem, which opened in Edinburgh in April. Katie explains: “I’ve always made artworks that deal with nature and time and climate, but this is the first that isn’t afraid to be political and confrontational... It is both celebratory and mythical, and yet it is also the saddest work I’ve ever made, mourning life lost and expressing a dystopian vision.” Making a quiet and gestural artwork, Katie refers to herself as a whispering activist, calling for awareness of distance with nature. Requiem tells the birth and life of our planet in a single object – an object that uses dust gathered from material dating from pre-solar times to those of the present. Katie’s visionary project Future Library is one of the best examples of how artist can contribute to global crisis. “A forest has been planted in Norway, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in 100 years time. Between now and then, one writer every year will contribute a text, with the writings held in trust, unread and unpublished, until the year 2114. The manuscripts will be held in a specially designed room in the new public library, Oslo.”

“The crisis is not imminent; the crisis is here” George Monbiot

The Speaker:

Katie Paterson was born in Glasgow in 1981. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Slade School of Art, London, and is widely regarded as one of the leading artists of her generation working at the nexus of art and science. Recent and upcoming projects include solo exhibitions at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; Turner Contemporary, Margate; NYLO, Reykjavik, and in June 2022 at Galleri F15 in Moss, Norway. Also in June, her 100-year artwork Future Library will celebrate the contributions of the last 3 writers to be commissioned and the opening of the Future Library room in the new Deichman Library in Oslo. A major new outdoor commission Mirage, for Apple’s headquarters at Cupertino in California, will be unveiled later this year. Katie Paterson has been represented by Ingleby since 2010.

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Hosts: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

Following our crucial episode “On the Art of Scars & Erased History” with the British artist and sculptor Piers Secunda, structured around the idea of art as a social vehicle that shifts conversations on diplomatic arena and Secunda’s body of work that is focusing on the iconoclastic acts of the extremist groups, we dive deeper into the topic to further discuss the questions of greatest concern related to the destruction of culture, restitution of museum objects and the market for looted artefacts. Secunda shares with us his invaluable knowledge and experience in the field, an artist whose practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make artworks and raise awareness.

The speaker:

Piers Secunda was born in London in 1976 and studied painting at Chelsea College of Art in London. Secunda has developed a studio practice using paint in a sculptural manner, rejecting the limitations imposed by the canvas. His intensive research based practice examines the deliberate targeting of culture in war time, by moulding damage from war zones and the sites of historic conflicts to make works. And using crude oil as a printing medium, to examine energy history through post industrial revolution developments, both cultural and technological, which define our world today.

Host:

Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In the wake of the myriad crises of the past two decades - art helps the world to be felt - by its inhabitants - spurring thinking, engagement and even action. In this episode we meet Simon Butler, founder of Migrate Art Charity, who delves into most pressing issues of today that the media and global society are disconnected from. We talk about his latest project The Scorched Earth, turning ash from burnt crops of Iraqi Kurdistan into art, organised in direct response to widespread deliberate destruction of the war-torn fields that impact the economy, ecosystem, and intimidating local communities. Simon explains to us how he changes the perspective on charity auctions, using the voice of significant artists, advocating that We are part of a larger We.

The Speaker:

Simon Butler is a curator, social entrepreneur and artist based in London. He founded Migrate Art in 2016 after visiting the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France for the first time. This poignant experience inspired him to use his years of experience in the art world to help those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. To date, Migrate Art has raised over £550,000, helped thousands of people across Europe and the Middle East and worked with some of the world's leading artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Raqib Shaw.

Follow Migrate Art's Journey on Instagram and Twitter

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this captivating episode, we journey with Tega Brain from her roots as an environmental engineer to her evolution into an art-tech visionary. Exploring the digital art landscape reshaped by AI and Machine Learning, she draws parallels with influential figures like Ian Cheng, Refik Anadol, and Elon Musk. Her works mirror the transformative power these technologies wield in creating unique artistic experiences, akin to what Trevor Paglen and Agnes Denes are known for. Amidst our tech-driven world, Tega challenges the status quo, intertwining creativity with environmental sustainability, and navigating ethical concerns similar to scholars like Kate Crawford, Timnit Gebru, and Joy Buolamwini. This episode is a must for anyone keen on the intersection of technology, art, and environmental sustainability.

In what ways artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming the digital art landscape, and what opportunities do these technologies present for artists?

How do you address ethical concerns when incorporating AI and other emerging technologies into your art practice?

The Speaker:

Tega Brain is an Australian-born artist, environmental engineer, and educator whose work intersects art, technology, and ecology. Her projects often address environmental issues and involve creating experimental systems, installations, and software. She has exhibited her work at various venues, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. In addition to her art practice, Tega Brain is an Assistant Professor of Integrated Digital Media at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. Her research and teaching focus on the creative and critical applications of technology, with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental concerns.

Follow Tega Brain's journey.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet management science researcher Wanyi Li, with who we discuss the destruction of the natural world and dealing with the enormity of the problem. Living in times, in which our planet is facing a ghastly future of mass extinction and climate-disruption upheavals, Wanyi shares with us her vision on far-reaching changes for acknowledging and preventing the continuity of biodiversity loss and soil degradation and handling our ecosystem with care, mainly through small everyday environmental conservation oriented actions and meaningful human interventions such as the practice of afforestation.

The Speaker:

Wanyi Li is a Ph.D. candidate in operations management at Stanford University Department of Management Science and Engineering. She studies market design for environmental sustainability. In particular, she builds theoretical frameworks for contracts and incentive schemes for Payment for Ecosystem Services programs. She is a recipient of the Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship. Prior to Stanford, she received her B.A. in Physics from Wellesley College and grew up in Xuzhou, China. She also co-leads the Mechanism Design for Social Good initiative, as well as the MD4SG Environment/Climate working group.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

Today we are meeting with Bahia Shehab, an artist, designer and art historian. Bahia through investigating Islamic art history, creates a poetic and powerful body of work, reinterpreting contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. Utilising urban environments and murals to communicate her strong message, a street artist and activist, Bahia produces an ephemeral artwork in response to Arab Spring and beyond, relentlessly saying “No and a thousand times No” to discrimination, killing, harassment, inequality, injustice, borders, extremism and racism. In this genuine conversation, Bahia speaks to us about the point where one must take sides, about a human collective response to the universal crises, about refusing to remain lost in translation, about the idea of imposed narrative in the postcolonial world, and the lack of accuracy in interpreting Arabic culture and Islamic heritage globally.

The Speaker:

Bahia Shehab is Professor of design and founder of the graphic design program at The American University in Cairo. Her work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and streets around the world. Through investigating Islamic art history she reinterprets contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues. She has received a number of international recognitions and awards, which include the BBC 100 Women list, a TED Senior fellowship, and a Prince Claus Award. She is the first Arab woman to receive the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. Shehab holds a PhD from Leiden University in The Netherlands and is the founding director of TypeLab@AUC. Her publications include A Thousand Times NO: The Visual History of Lam-Alif, At The Corner of a Dream and the co-authored book A History of Arab Graphic Design. Her latest book You Can Crush the Flowers: A Visual Memoir of the Egyptian Revolution will be published in 2021 to mark the ten-year anniversary of the uprising.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, co-hosted with Kiana Talebpour (creative director of Md'A Design Agency), we get a chance to chat with the most incredible Newsha Tavakolian, an Iranian photographer who has dedicated her life and career to empowering those who need to be heard by documenting the underrepresented stories. Her powerful work reflects on realism and morality, on social injustice and exploitation, on gender inequality and violence. As she advocates for human rights, female voices in oppressed environments and covering wars, challenging conflicts and crises around the world, we ask how she sees her camera as a tool for social change. As well as how being an Iranian has affected her path as a female photographer and what does it mean to her to bring into the world’s attention the turbulent realities of her region and beyond.

The Speaker:

Newsha Tavakolian is known for her powerful work covering wars in Iraq and social issues in her native Iran. With clarity and sensitivity, Tavakolian has photographed female guerilla fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Colombia, prohibited Iranian female singers and the lives of people living under sanctions. Over the years, her practice has shifted from photojournalism to photography as art. Her work has been published in international magazines and newspapers such as Time Magazine, Newsweek, Stern, Le Figaro, Colors, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, NRC Handelsblad, The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic. Tavakolian became a Magnum nominee in 2015 and an associate in 2017.

Follow Newsha's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye (ZG19) & Kiana Talebpour (Md'A Design Agency)

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, together with our co-host Kiana Talebpour from Milan based MdA design agency we meet Hormoz Hematian founder of the Dastan - a multidimensional program focusing on Iranian contemporary and modern art, including Dastan's Basement, Dastan+2 and Dastan:Outside, as well as Teer Art Tehran, a private-sector initiative that runs Teer Art Fair and Teer Art Week. By means of this genuine and crucial conversation Hormoz takes us on a journey to Iran, where even though art is classified as “informational material”, meaning it is technically exempt from sanctions, the situation poses great obstacles for the country’s artists and galleries. Yet, Hormoz remains positive about Iran’s vibrant artistic environment and the region’s collecting patterns, as well as discusses with us the notion of Iranian artists gaining momentum on the international stage, both commercially and critically; the domestic art market that has been stymied by the state’s isolationism at the same time being a subject of high viewership; and what solutions the spaces are considering at the moment to maintain relevance and connection with their communities and the rest of the world.

What has triggered the Renaissance in Iranian art locally and internationally?

How strong is the exchange between Iranian art scene and that of overseas?

And how do you deal with the freedom of expression?

*In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

The Speaker:

Hormoz Hematian founded the gallery Dastan’s Basement in 2012 in Tehran to showcase emerging and experimental Iranian art, later Dastan+2, dedicated to established artists and, most recently, Dastan: Outside, a program of curated pop-up exhibitions across Tehran. Together, the three initiatives cover the full spectrum of Iranian contemporary and modern art practices. In addition to an extensive local program of shows, pop-ups and eclectic collaborations, the Dastan group of galleries can be regularly sighted at established international venues such as Frieze New York, Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Dubai and Contemporary Istanbul. Aside from his work at Dastan, Hormoz Hematian is the founder of Teer Art Tehran (est. 2018). Teer Art Tehran is a private-sector initiative to promote modern and contemporary Iranian art through two sister events: Teer Art Fair and Teer Art Week. Once a year in June, Teer Art creates a space connecting local and international galleries, art collectors, industry professionals and visitors to engage in Teer Art Fair.

Follow Hormoz’s journey on Instagram

Host: Farah Piriye

Co-host: Kiana Talebpour, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary:

Meanwhile patiently observing and exploring every single bit of the fascinating Unknown Unknowns. An Introduction to Mysteries exhibition at the 23rd International Exposition at Triennale Milano, curated by Ersilia Vaudo, we were mesmerised by an underwater robotic installation. In this episode we meet British bio artist Anna Dumitriu, who tells us more about the artwork ArcheaBot, reimagining what a post climate change life might be - a post singularity life-form. Based on a ground breaking research on archaea - a group of unicellular microorganisms believed to be the oldest form of life on earth - combined with the latest innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Anna has collaborated with Alex May to create the ‘ultimate’ species that can adapt to live in extreme conditions, able to survive the end of our world. The pioneering visual artist speaks about her extraordinary practice in between art and biology and the role of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in an altered future life, laying the importance Alan Turing’s Imitation Game has assumed in the philosophy of mind and quoting ideas of Elon Musk discussing possible solutions for Climate Change.

The Speaker:

Anna Dumitriu is an award winning, internationally renowned, British artist who works with BioArt, sculpture, installation, and digital media to explore our relationship to infectious diseases, synthetic biology and robotics. Her work is held in several major public collections, including the Science Museum London and Eden Project.

Follow Anna 's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this genuine conversation with the curator and director of Foundation Art Divvy Zahra Khan, we discuss the rise of contemporary art scene in Pakistan, the significance of women’s artistic creations in the region, political and social manifestations in the work of the local artists and how foundations such as Art Divvy and Lahore Biennale breath a new life into the Pakistan’s vibrant art universe.

The Speaker:

Zahra Khan is a curator based between the United Kingdom and Pakistan who focuses on contemporary South Asian art. In her role as Creative Director and Curator of Foundation Art Divvy, she works to promote contemporary artists from Pakistan and build the organisation’s presence on the international art scene. Her latest venture with the Foundation has been to curate the inaugural Pavilion of Pakistan, Manora Field Notes, a solo exhibition by Naiza Khan, at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Follow Art Divvy's Journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

On this World Whale Day we devote our episode to the Ocean - one of the most important places on our planet and home to thousand of different plant and animal species. The aquatic ecosystems make up 70.8 percent of the earth's surface and act as a buffer against many critical global issues including pollution and over-harvesting, it is a source of half of the oxygen we breathe. We have the pleasure to meet Markus Reymann, a Director of TBA21–Academy and an advocate for ocean literacy, research and conservation. He expands on his mission and tells us about how creativity and global collaboration with tribalizers in the fields of art and science - such as Olafur Eliasson, David Gruber and the new exhibition with Wu Tsang 'Of Whales' opening this 21st of February - can foster ocean's restoration.

The Speaker:

Markus Reymann is Director of TBA21–Academy, a non-profit cultural organization he co-founded in 2011 that fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and exchange surrounding the most urgent ecological, social, and economic issues facing our oceans today. Reymann leads the Academy’s engagement with artists, activists, scientists, and policy-makers worldwide, resulting in the creation of new commissions, new bodies of knowledge, and new policies advancing the conservation and protection of the oceans. In March 2019, TBA21–Academy launched Ocean Space, a new global port for ocean literacy, research, and advocacy. Located in the restored Church of San Lorenzo in Venice, Italy, Ocean Space is activated by the itinerant Academy and its network of partners, including universities, NGOs, museums, government agencies, and research institutes from around the world.

Follow Markus Reymann, TBA21-Academy and Ocean Space journey.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we continue exploring the notion of stage and performance art, this time meeting British musical-theatre choreographer Gillian Bruce, who speaks with us about reshaping musicals in a post-pandemic reality. Facing numerous restrictions due to the health risks, she shares with us her challenges on directing through distance and her high hopes for the future of theatre.

What the future of musical theatre holds? What are the biggest challenges of the performance industry? How can one direct on stage from distance?

The Speaker:

Gillian Bruce is one of the leading choreographers in Italy. She was born in London where she completed her studies at the Laine Theater of Arts and specialized in the Royal Academy and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. After working in several English productions, both television and theatrical, she moved to Italy as a solo dancer in "Fantastico 4" (RAI 1). Later she started directing the choreography and teaching for La Scala Theatre in Milan, where she worked alongside George Iancu, in "The Merry Widow" under the direction of Pier Luigi Pizzi. Her choreography work includes ''Dirty Dancing'', ''Mary Poppins'' and ''Grease'' amongst others.

She is currently choreographing the first post-pandemic musical in Italy, ''Oklahoma'', and continues to teach and participate in various television productions.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode summary: “We are literally surrounded with data. How can we imagine this invisible dimension of reality that is shaping our future?” In the current environment, today’s episode with an artist and designer Richard Vijgen (1982), whose work provides poetical interpretations of data and proposes a dialogue between the human perspective and the disembodied world of digital networks, algorithms and wireless communication, couldn’t feel more timely. Richard has collaborated with film makers, artists, scientists, academic and commercial organizations to visualize and explore datasets on many topics that he discusses with us, opening a door to an invisible universe of data science, new media artists and collecting habits of experiential and digital art.

About the speaker: Founded in 2009, Studio Richard Vijgen that is based in the Netherlands, has been evolving into an experimental practice that explores new technologies, interactions and aesthetics to visualize the invisible. Richard Vijgen’s work has been exhibited in and collected by museums and arts institutions across the world including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Barbican Gallery, ZKM, Ars Electronica, Vitra Design Museum and Manifesta 12. Richard Vijgen is a lecturer at the department of Art Design and Technology at ArtEZ school of Art and Design and frequently serves as a guest lecturer at art schools and universities across Europe and North America. He has received a number of awards and prizes including the Dutch Design Awards, Prix Ars Electronica (honourable mention) , European Design Award.

Richard Vijgen writes about data visualization and digital culture and has published articles in the Yale Architectural Journal, Volume Magazine, New Challenges for Data Design and the Parsons Journal for Information Mapping.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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About the episode:

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Helen Czerski, an extraordinary physicist, oceanographer, and leading voice in science communication. Dr. Czerski’s groundbreaking research focuses on the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean’s surface—key processes that connect the ocean and atmosphere in ways that shape life on Earth. As an Associate Professor at University College London and a field researcher in oceans across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, Helen brings unparalleled expertise to the conversation.

Helen is also a celebrated author, and her latest book, The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, has been hailed as an essential read for understanding the ocean’s vital role in sustaining life on Earth. Praised by Kirkus Reviews as a compelling read for science buffs and ocean enthusiasts' and celebrated by The Arts Desk for its seamless blend of science and storytelling, The Blue Machine offers a captivating exploration of the ocean’s profound influence on our planet.

In this episode, Helen delves into the hidden physical processes of the ocean and reveals how this immense, dynamic system drives life on Earth. Together, we discuss her approach to making complex science accessible, the urgent global water crisis, and the pivotal role the ocean plays in addressing climate change and conservation.

This conversation is an invitation to dive into the interconnected wonders of our blue planet—and a reminder of why The Blue Machine is an essential read for anyone who seeks to understand it.

The speaker:

Dr. Helen Czerski is a physicist and oceanographer based at University College London. Her scientific research focuses on the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface, and how they help the ocean breathe. She is also a writer and broadcaster, including as a regular presenter of radio and tv science programmes for the BBC since 2010. She has received the Institute of Physics Gold Medal (2018), the Marine Pioneer Award from Jacksonville University, and an honorary doctorate from the University of East Anglia. Her most recent book, Blue Machine, tells the story of Earth’s ocean engine.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, One Ocean Foundation

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet Francesca Molteni - an Italian film director and design curator. We discuss the essence of design, its anti-crisis purposes and the collective work that can help us in overcoming difficult times. Analyzing the thin line between ethics and aesthetics, Francesca stresses on the capacity of creation to find new strategies for re-building the future of her beloved city of Milan.

How can we re-build the future through design?

The Speaker:

Francesca Molteni is an Italian curator and film director. In 2019 she founded MUSE Factory of Projects, developing editorial and multimedia projects, videos, video installations and websites with the aim of linking creativity, culture and business.

Follow Francesca's Journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

This candid conversation with Saeed Taji Farouky, an award-winning filmmaker specialising in long-term human rights projects and social justice, made me think of Andrei Tarkovsky’s vision on cinema - an instrument of art equal to prose. Today, we discussed everything from the authenticity of the crafted narrative to the ethical decisions that Saeed had to make while filming I See the Stars at Noon, the misrepresentation of the Arab world by the Western Media to how his practice dynamically communicates underrepresented stories such as that of Tell Spring Not to Come This Year, the dilemmas of information ownership and neo-colonialism to understanding the role of a documentary filmmaker in and outside the film.

The Speaker:

Saeed Taji Farouky is a Palestinian-British award-winning filmmaker and artist who has been producing work around themes of conflict, human rights and colonialism since 1998. His 2015 documentary Tell Spring Not to Come This Year won the Amnesty International Award and the Audience Choice Panorama Award at Berlinale ’15. In 2011, he was named a Senior TED Fellow, and he was previously named Artist-In-Residence at the British Museum and Tate Britain. He has been a regular human rights speaker and educator with Amnesty International for 10 years and has been teaching filmmaking and cinematography since 2009.

Follow Saeed's Journey on Twitter.

Host: Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet Wallpaper's China editor Yoko Choy, who speaks about the consequences of Covid-19 in the design industry and business, the most recent promising projects oriented towards social well-being and the importance of collaboration. In the multi-faceted reality in China, Yoko expresses her vision on contemporary design, still in flux but yet to be shaped in a more environmentally sustainable direction by the young creative generation. As a multicultural creative she tries to translate the knowledge and insides from both worlds into a common language, meanwhile raising awareness of the importance of cross-cultural exchange.

The Speaker:

Currently based in Amsterdam, Hong Kong-born Yoko Choy is an acclaimed design and lifestyle journalist and the China Editor for Wallpaper* magazine, as well as a writer for Chinese and international publications including Hong Kong Economic Journal and the online platform Dezeen. Yoko is also a co-founder of Collective Contemporist creative consultancy. She has worked for Art Basel on its launch in Hong Kong, curated exhibitions for Dover Street Market in Beijing, managed Beijing Design Week’s international communications activities and represented MARIOTESTINO+ in Asia.

Follow Yoko’s journey on Instagram

Hosts: Farah Piriye and Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

Today we meet the founder of The Other Art Fair, Ryan Stanier. We talk to him about the inception of his unique platform and his vision on the future of virtual and in-person art fairs in post-pandemic times. Ryan’s deliberate, still deeply intuitiveapproach of looking for 'the next big thing' is present in everythinghe does. He advocates for breaking the walls of the art market and for community engagement, meanwhile giving visibility to independent and emerging artists - a central part of the concept of his new age art fair. Held globally in various cities including LA, London, Syndney, New York, Melbourne and others, The Other Art Fair is an inspiring venture showcasing new talent in disruptive ways, allowing the culture lover to enjoy art differently.

The Speaker:

Ryan Stanier is a British entrepreneur that started The Other Art Fair in 2011, after launching London's Artbeat in 2010, a commercial gallery space for emerging artists. Since then the fair has worked with over 3,000 artists from across 20 countries. In response to COVID-19, Stanier launched a new platform The Other Art Fair Online Studios with their partner Saatchi Art, showcasing all the exhibitors who were originally going to be featured in the spring fairs.

Follow Ryan Stanier's Journey.

Follow The Other Art Fair on Instagram and Twitter.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

This February we have the honour to meet one of India's best conservation and environmental journalists Swati Thiyagarajan. Swati delves into what makes a good documentary film, tells us more about her role in the Oscar-wining documentary My Octopus Teacher and shares the most urgent pressing issues related to biodiversity loss. We merge with her to the wild and the wilderness, to community based models of fighting the challenges of the environment and the human spirit. Swati offers a glimpse into the ecological philosophy guiding her efforts in conservation and raising awareness and encourages us to remember that we are born wild and where there is life, there is hope.

Our goal is to inspire the next generation of students, researchers and professionals interested in and committed to environmental consciousness-raising. We hope our listeners are able to pause from stressful workflows, take a break from distractions, and enjoy the conversation.

The Speaker:

Swati Thiyagarajan is one of India’s top conservation and environmental journalists. She was the environment editor at NDTV; her show ‘Born Wild’ ran successfully for over 15 years on the channel. Swati is an associate producer and production manager of My Octopus Teacher winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards. Her book, Born Wild, chronicles her experiences in the wilds of India and Africa. Her documentary film The Animal Communicator had a theatrical release in Cape Town, where she currently works at the Sea Change Project for the conservation of the Great African Sea forest. She is a two-time winner of the Ramnath Goenka Award for excellence in environmental journalism, and the Carl Zeiss Award for her reporting on wildlife conservation.

Follow Swati's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

Preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity is an ongoing process that requires sustained effort over time to build the resilience of societies to atrocity crimes. In today’s episode we meet Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum, an Associate Professor of Clinical Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, to speak about her focus on human rights, public health, and atrocity prevention, slavery and the slave trade, indigenous rights, and human rights violations against minority groups. We discuss Russia’s attack on Ukraine, how human rights violations and mass atrocities can be prevented, as well as the current displacement of the vulnerable Ukrainian population, what the United Nations calls the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

We continue to hope for the return of peace and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the citizens of Russia who will bear the cost of its government’s lawlessness.

The Speaker:

Jocelyn Getgen is an Associate Professor of Clinical Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where she directs the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic and the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights (CLIHHR). Her scholarship focuses on human rights, public health, and atrocity prevention, especially related to preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based crimes, slavery and the slave trade, indigenous rights, and human rights violations against minority groups. She holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and an MPH from the John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Follow Jocelyn's journey on Twitter

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:Have you ever dreamed of seeing our planet Earth from above, stepping on the surface of the moon or travelling in time? In this episode we have the honour to speak with Andrea Vena, a Chief of Climate and Sustainability Officer at the European Space Agency. Mr. Vena tells us more about the era of new space economy and exploring further the solar system, meanwhile focusing on reaching and optimising the sustainable goal objectives. He shares with us about his sustainable role and approach based on the understanding that the climate and the scientific analysis of the possible evolution is deeply rooted on space data. Mr. Vena talks about the future outpost on and around the moon, the next international space station The Lunar Gateway, and preparing to study Mars in-depth, searching for the building blocks of life and how to sustain it on Earth.

''Space is the space without boundaries'' Mr. Vena says. According to Mr. Vena the international collaboration in the space sectors is the way to progress in future. Listen to our episode and launch into space... 3... 2... 1... Liftoff!

The Speaker:

Andrea Vena is the Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer of the European Space Agency – ESA. He has over than thirty years of experience in the space sector both in industrial and institutional areas. He’s married with three children.Graduated in Electronic Engineering, with a Master in Telecommunication Systems, he started his career in Italy as system engineer in Alenia Spazio, the space branch of Finmeccanica (today Leonardo), where he contributed to large space projects as the ESA Artemis Data Relay Satellite, and the ESA-NASA Cassini-Huygens mission, and then covered different managerial positions.In 2000, Andrea started his career at ESA by joining the Strategy Directorate. In 2006 he was appointed head of the Corporate Strategic Planning office, in charge of the Agency’s strategic planning process, including the elaboration of the 10-year ESA Long-Term Plan and the management of Agency-level strategic risks. In 2016, he was appointed head of the Corporate Development Office, in charge of establishing a corporate strategy for the development of the organisation. Among his duties, Andrea was responsible for elaborating and coordinating the implementation of the ESA Strategic Plan including actions and activities needed to reach ESA development strategic objectives. He was in charge, among others, to define and deploy a knowledge management system across the organisation as well as to elaborate a corporate social responsibility policy and define actions needed to implement it at ESA.

Follow European Space Agency's journey.

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary

The world’s biggest and most renowned design and furniture fair Milan’s Salone del Mobile, which was supposed to happen last month, has been officially cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic - first time in its history, since its very launch in 1961. Today, ZG19 is meeting (at distance) one-of-a-kind Milan gallerist Nina Yashar, whose legendary Nilufar space is a must-see stop on the Design Week trail, to ask about how the misfortune is affecting the industry in long term perspective and how we should re-shape public spaces, incorporating smart technologies and well-being oriented trends in design.

The Speaker

An interdisciplinary universe of Milan’s design temple Nilufar gallery, located in Via della Spiga, is of three dimensions: Discovering, Crossing, Creating. Its founder, Nina Yashar, who was born in Tehran and moved along with her family to Milan during the swinging 60s, is a ceaseless explorer. Her vision stands at perpetually observing and scouting new talents and movements; continuously creating eclectic kaleidoscopes and heterogeneous matrixes by joining together time, geography and traditions; and finally eagerly giving life to bold projects and unrivalled site-specific shows, working both with great masters and emerging authors. Nilufar, meaning Lotus flower in Persian, as a symbol of creation and mysticism, composes dialogues between works from different cultures and periods in a single space, opening up doors to a new category that Yashar calls “functional art”, a hybrid where design meets art. Always a step ahead of her contemporaries, Nina Yashar supports a more female-integrated design scene, mixing vintage and contemporary pieces in the projects set in her enormous experimental interdisciplinary furniture showroom Nilufar Depot, founded in 2015.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

Co-hosting this episode with MdA Agency, Milan based Design studio, as part of our series dedicated to cultural pluralism, we meet prof. Ingrid Paoletti, who shares her invaluable knowledge with us reflecting on multicultural memory and the contemporary notion of ‘habitus’, translating from latin as ‘Conditions suitable for an organism or population of organisms to live’. Questioning the current unsustainable environment we find ourselves in, Ingrid talks about the importance of society’s legacy and sensitive tangible values of local communities.

How do you believe technology can help us preserve our cultural heritage?

How can our society keep up with the demands of hanging international needs for cultural understanding and awareness?

How can technology play a role in a setting of multicultural co-existence?

*In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

The Speaker:

Ingrid Paoletti, Associate Professor of Building Technology at the ABC, Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering Dept at Politecnico di Milano University. Ingrid is founder and coordinator of the research group MaterialBalance www.materialbalance.polimi.it at the forefront of experimental technologies and material systems innovation. Her works have been shown in fundamental exhibitions, papers and books internationally recognized.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

Co-host: Kiana Taleb-Pour, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary: In this episode we meet Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves, whose work feels particularly urgent in the current environment we find ourselves in. Her research-based, highly poetic, and astonishingly courageous practice continuously addresses ecological and social issues for the betterment of humanity. In this genuine and intimate conversation, Alves discusses her childhood experiences that formed her artistic consciousness, how the global cultural scene needs to avoid categorisations, and how her body of work gives witness to silenced histories, creating spaces of agency for oppressed and discriminated cultures, ongoing environmental emergencies, and the never-ending crisis of cultural authority.

About the Speaker: Maria Thereza Alves is a Brazilian artist and activist living in Europe. Alves’s oeuvre comprises equally political texts, artist’s texts, videos, mixed media installations, drawings, photographs, performances, in situ works, talks and documentations of important moments in history. Since the early 1970s, both the devastating effects of Portuguese imperialism on the indigenous peoples of her native Brazil and the impact of the Spanish conquest in the Americas, has been central to her practice. Through her creative and intelligent body of work Alves has addressed concepts that question social circumstances, researching social and cultural phenomena. In 2017, she was awarded the Vera List Prize. Selected exhibitions include solo shows at IAC - Institut d’Art Contemporain (Villeurbanne), Parsons - The New School of Design (New York), CAAC - Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (Seville), Musée d’Histoire de Nantes - Château des Ducs de Bretagne, and group shows at Manifesta 7 (Trento), Serpentine Gallery (London), (d)OCUMENTA 13 (Kassel), Bétonsalon (Paris), Crac Alsace, Jewish Museum (Berlin), 3rd Guangzhou Triennial, 29th Sao Paulo Biennial, amongst others.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

On this International Women's Day, in the current global contexts of open conflicts, instability and violence, our co-founder Elizabeth has a candid conversation with security and humanitarian expert Prof. Benedetta Berti - the Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO. After spending over a decade researching non-state armed groups, Prof. Berti speaks about the issues of addressing the many layers of security and offers new approaches to better understand and tackle modern conflict. Focusing her work on the world's most complex disputes - from Syria, to Iraq, to Gaza and many others - Prof. Berti reveals the hidden sides of crime and terrorism, their financing and execution and analyses the possibilities for building resilient and peaceful communities.

The Speaker:

Prof. Benedetta Berti is the Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO. An Eisenhower Global Fellow and a TED Senior Fellow, Benedetta is also Associate Researcher at the Institute for European Studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussels and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In the past, she has held teaching and research positions at West Point, the Institute for National Security Studies and Tel Aviv University, among others. Her research focuses on armed groups, internal wars, and protection of civilians. Prof. Berti is the author of four books, including "Armed Political Organizations. From Conflict to Integration" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013) and her work and research have appeared, among others, in Al-Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, the National Interest, the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times; as well as in academic journals including Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Parameters, the Middle East Journal, ORBIS, Democratization, Civil Wars, Government & Opposition and Mediterranean Politics. Her work and research have been awarded numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including the World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship, the Horowitz Foundation Grant, the Lady Davis Fellowship, the Bradley Foundation Fellowship, the Morris Abrams Award in International Relations, the Rosenthal Fellowship and the International Center for Non-Violent Conflict Curriculum Fellowship. In 2015, the Italian government awarded her the Order of the Star of Italy (order of Knighthood).

Follow Benedetta Berti's Journey on Twitter.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this episode our host Elizabeth Zhivkova and co-host Kiana Talebpour (Md'A) meet the Italian visual artist Patrick Tuttofuoco. Patrick details the origin of his approach and shares about the quiet moment where visitors can experience the simple yet profound emotions that can be stirred when encountering beauty in ways by transforming the environment. He offers thoughts on how we can navigate the coronavirus pandemic and our creativity with courage, hope and empathy. Patrick talks about his inner energy flow and source of inspiration and shows how we can take advantage of being creative at this unique moment of social distancing.

This virtual conversation is part of the ZEITGEIST19 series hosted in collaboration with Md'A Design Agency.

The Speaker:

Patrick Tuttofuoco is an Italian visual artist who ives and works in Milan. Tuttofuoco’s practice is conceived as a dialogue between individuals and their ability to transform the environment they inhabit, by exploring notions of community and social integration in order to combine immediate sensorial allure with the power to trigger profound theoretical responses. Tuttofuoco melds Modernism and Pop; he presses figuration into abstraction, using man as the paradigm of existence, as the matrix and measuring unit of reality. From this interpretative and cognitive process, infinite versions of man and the context of his existence are produced, from which shapes able to animate the sculptures are generated.

Patrick Tuttofuoco participated in the 50th Venice Biennale (2003), Manifesta 5 (2004), the 6th Shanghai Biennale (2006) and the 10th Havana Biennal (2009). His works has been exhibited in several institutions such as Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin (2006), the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2008) and Casa Italia, Pyeongchang (2018). In 2017 it was selected by the Italian Council announcement with the ZERO project presented in Rimini, Berlin and Bologna (2018).

Follow Patrick's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova (ZG19) & Kiana Talebpour (Md'A Design Agency)

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Episode Summary:

In Episode VII, one of the leading voices of our generation, Arturo Galansino, Director of Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, transports us to the capital city of Tuscan region, as we dive into a timely conversation about how art can reconnect us with the environment, how a museum can turn into a laboratory for experimentation and join forces with the science; and how the foundation is looking for more sustainable paths of operating. The episode features Galansino’s thoughts about artworks communicating in poetic yet effective ways, touching the visitors souls and spirits; as well as his major objective, which is to bring Florence, known for its glorious past, back to the international map of contemporary art scene.

The Speaker:

Arturo Galansino, who previously held curatorial positions at Musée du Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London, worked on such critically-acclaimed exhibitions as Verrocchio, the first major retrospective dedicated to the master of the Renaissance genius; Giovanni Battista Moroni; Rubens and his Legacy; Renaissance Impressions, amongst others. Galansino, who was educated in Milan and subsequently in Turin, where he gained a research doctorate in Art History and Criticism, is now chairing Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence - the first example of an independent public-private cultural foundation in Italy. Together with his team, Galansino develops a cultural strategy of exceptional consistency, forging new ways of communicating art and culture to its audience, conducting an energetic dialogue between Old Masters and Contemporary Art, all within the historical setting of monumental Palazzo Strozzi.

Hosts: Farah Piriye and Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

In this episode our co-founder Elizabeth Zhivkova meets innovation policy expert Padmashree Gehl Sampath, who describes technology as a 'tool of change' during their conversation on the importance of technological innovation. Living in a digitalized world, Padmashree shares her thoughts on the new reality, the strategic means for national digital development and her leading concerns about it. Throughout discussing interventions for positive change, Padmashree stresses on the adaptation of renewables in the long race of achieving net-zero footprint, and why the future of our world depends on it.

The Speaker:

Padmashree Gehl Sampath is a leading expert on trade policy, innovation policy and economic development. She has worked at the United Nations and is an Adjunct Professor at Harvard. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Social Sciences, University of Aalborg, Denmark and a Professorial Fellow at the United Nations University-MERIT. Most recently, she served as Head-Policy of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Padmashree is the author of several books and journal publications.

Follow Padmashree's Journey on Twitter.

Host: Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

'Art doesn’t owe you anything’, says our today’s guest speaker Ilya Shagalov, ‘It doesn’t have goals or objectives, just like coronavirus”. One of Russia’s most talented and emerging video artists and theatre directors, student of Kyril Serebrennikov, and member of Russia’s leading avant-guard theatre Gogol Centre, Shagalov, who finds himself in Berlin during the pandemic speaks to us about his deeply inspiring creation entitled Fairies, which was released just for a day in the mids of national lockdowns, with its existential yet romantic reaction to our crisis-ridden moment and the only universal solution - to love. In today’s episode Shagalov will talk us through the new forms of online theatre, the depth in the work of Bill Viola, the provocative manner of Frank Castorf’s theatre making, the aesthetics of metamodernism and many more…

How are theatrical vocabularies shifting to accommodate and reflect global and local cultures? Can performance art make a positive change in relation to social and political realities? And does theatre have a place to exist in the digital world?

(*Available in Russian version as a Bonus episode.)

The Speaker:

In 2008 Ilya Shagalov gra­du­ated with a deg­ree in Ac­ting from Kras­no­dar Na­ti­onal Uni­ver­si­ty of Cul­tu­re and Arts. Af­ter his stu­di­es in Kras­no­dar, he en­te­red the Ki­rill Se­reb­renni­kov gro­up at Mos­cow Art The­at­re Scho­ol, which la­ter has grown in­to the Stu­dio Se­ven. As a di­rec­tor, Sha­galov wor­ked on the fol­lo­wing pro­jects: a sta­ge es­say “Do­minus Mor­fi­us” ba­sed on the texts of Sart­re and Dos­to­evs­ky (wit­hin the pro­ject “The The­at­ri­cal Al­ma­nac”), the pro­duc­ti­on “The Fa­iry­tale Li­ves of Rus­si­an Girls” by Mar­ga­ret Mi­rosh­nik (The Cen­ter of Dra­matur­gy and Di­rec­ting), “Fun­ny Dre­ams” ba­sed on “A Dre­am of a Ri­dicu­lo­us Man” by Fy­odor Dos­to­yevs­ky (the Pro­ject Plat­form), the ope­ra “Mi­nota­ur Dre­ams” (The The­at­re of Na­ti­ons), a show in Scha­ubühne the­at­re (Ber­lin, Ger­ma­ny). Sin­ce 2004, Ilya Sha­galov has al­so wor­ked as vi­deo de­sig­ner and VJ. He par­ti­cipa­tes in dif­fe­rent vi­su­al art fes­ti­vals. In col­la­bora­ti­on with Ki­rill Se­reb­renni­kov he pro­duced the vi­deo de­sign for “Kijé” (The Mos­cow Art The­at­re), “Aro­und Ze­ro” (Oleg Ta­bakov The­at­re), “Wo­yzeck” (The Na­ti­onal The­at­re of Lat­via), “A Mid­summer­night’s dre­am” and “The Hun­ting of the Snark” (The Stu­dio 7). Ilya Sha­galov is an up-and-co­ming di­rec­tor-ex­pe­rimen­ter. His works fe­atu­re ec­cent­ric forms, mi­xed gen­res and va­ri­ous me­ans of exp­res­si­on from vi­su­al art to li­ve mu­sic.

Host: Farah Piriye

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About the episode:

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to sit down with Jakob Kudsk Steensen, a visionary Danish artist whose groundbreaking work fuses environmental storytelling with virtual reality, video games, sound, and immersive 3D environments. Known for transforming Berlin’s iconic Berghain nightclub into an eerie digital swamp with Berl-Berl, exhibiting at the Venice Biennale as a Future Generation Art Prize finalist, and collaborating with global sensations like BTS and musician Arca, Jakob reimagines lost ecosystems and overlooked natural phenomena to deepen our connection to the world around us. His 2025 commissions, Boreal Dreams at Fondation Beyeler and Psychosphere at Cisternerne Denmark, promise to push the boundaries of art and technology even further.

We dive into how Jakob’s digital realms—crafted through extensive fieldwork and partnerships with biologists, composers, and writers—might bring us closer to nature in an age of disconnection. He shares his thoughts on whether artists can act as agents of change amidst today’s uncertainty, distorted truths, and environmental crises, and reflects on how cross-sectoral collaborations fuel his innovative creativity. Plus, Jakob speaks about the importance of the deep sea and reveals the subject he’s currently investigating, offering a glimpse into what’s at the forefront of his mind right now. Join us for a captivating conversation that bridges art, ecology, and the virtual frontier!

The speaker:

Jakob Kudsk Steensen is a Danish artist working with environmental storytelling through video games, VR, sound installations and immersive environments. He creates poetic interpretations about overlooked natural phenomena through collaborations with field biologists, composers and writers.

''As Above, So Below'' is a collaborative podcast season between ZEITGEIST19 and One Ocean Foundation, focused on biodiversity and ocean conservation and planetary well-being.

Host: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet Dr. Roberto Ridolfi, who speaks with us about the rising inequalities, the phenomena of nationalism and the fragile side of globalisation. Through the lens of multiculturalism, he explains to us why we are in the same storm but not in the same boat and how different cultures are responding to COVID-19’s paralysis according to their assets and beliefs. Roberto shares with us how he envisions the recovery of the global economy and why we should eventually regenerate a new way of thinking and redefine the concepts of solidarity, tolerance and partnership in our delicate world.

How can we transform the economy in a more sustainable one? Why do we need contemporary philosophers more than ever? What is the new paradigm to look at?

*In Collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation. Having experienced the terrifying pandemic, which affects all segments of our living, one wonders Are we really in this together or have never been this much apart?

The Speaker:

Roberto Ridolfi graduated in Engineering from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1985), continuing his studies with a PhD in technologies (1991) and a Master in Business Administration (1998). He has 35 years of professional experience, 25 of which with the European Commission as Principal Coordinator, Head of Division, Director of Department, Ambassador to various countries for the European External Service. He has worked and lived in 9 countries on 4 continents: Brazil, United States, Italy, Malawi, Namibia, Kosovo, Belgium, Uganda and Fiji Islands. He is currently assistant general Director of FAO, with special responsibilities for FAO, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, support to the World Food Summit in 2021 and for the G-20 in 2021. Both tasks are strongly aimed at achieving the goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs that underpin his work as a Blended Finance manager since 2008 in investment funds and architect of the EU's external investment plan.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

Co-host: Maddalena d'Alfonso, MdA Design Agency

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We are delighted to announce that ZEITGEIST19 is joining forces with One Ocean Foundation to host a new collaborative podcast season entitled ‘As Above, So Below’ focused on ocean biodiversity conservation and planetary well-being, examining the one time opportunity we have - to bring back balance in our ecosystems.

In response to the climate state of emergency, the hybrid project proposes new perspectives, creating a reservoir of hope for regeneration, reinvention & repair. Based on knowledge arising from nurturing relationships between art and science, the series inform how inspiration from nature can collectively find solutions to contemporary environmental challenges and weave them into an interdisciplinary conversation.

In the spirit of ‘As Above, So Below,’ rooted in indigenous philosophy and ancient Hermetic wisdom, we recognise the interconnectedness of the Cosmos and the Earth. Just as the movements of the Heavens influence the tides, the health of the ocean reflects the equilibrium of our fragile world. This profound belief reminds us that our primordial relationship with the ocean is not just physical but deeply spiritual and essential to the well-being of the closely interwoven system of life.

We are honoured to welcome speakers as activists, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, economists, cultural leaders and biodiversity defenders from our blue planet we call Home. Dive deep into our journey of exploration above and below the surface.

One Ocean Foundation is an International non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the ocean, focused on innovative researches guided by a multinational scientific committee, aiming to accelerate solutions to ocean issues, promoting blue economy and enhancing marine knowledge. Launched by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in 2017 for its 50th Anniversary. Find more about OOF’s project Canyon of Caprera recognised as “Hope Spot” by Dr. Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue, with the support of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative.

Support their Blue Forest sea reforestation project here.

Hosts: Farah Piriye and Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19

Co-host: Jan Pachner, Secretary General One Ocean Foundation

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the whole One Ocean Foundation team and its President Mr. Riccardo Bonadeo.

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Episode Summary:

In this episode our co-founder Elizabeth Zhivkova meets Cora Sheibani - a Swiss-born, London-based jewellery designer and a core member of GemX socio-club. A dialogue between two jewellery enthusiasts and creators, a gaze into the future of jewellery design through the lens of sustainability and ethical sourcing, one of the biggest challenges in the sector nowadays. Totally devoid of cliches, Cora's one-off unique jewels transcendent our expectations unfolding a story to be told. Going down memory lane, she shares about her influences behind her practice and her view on the functionality and the role of jewellery in our contemporary lives; on how to preserve the tradition in the 21st Century. Cora encourages the listeners to be conscious, be bold, stay true to themselves, meanwhile giving some precious insightful tips on starting off an independent business in the field.

'Her jewellery does not hanker after an image of more or less aggressive richness. What Cora Sheibani designs is not really 'jewellery' but rather a sophisticated suggestion.' Ettore Sottsass

The Speaker:

Cora Sheibani is a Swiss-born and London-based jewellery designer. From an early age Cora benefitted from an environment dedicated to contemporary art and design. She received an Art History degree from New York University in June 2001 and the following summer she completed a degree in geology from the GIA in London. In December 2002 she launched her eponymous jewellery label. She started out by making small groups of work and individual pieces, each unique. Aside from showing her designs in private viewings by appointment, Cora Sheibani showcases her pieces at special exhibitions trough all over the world. Cora is a core member of GemX - a private social club and a global community for jewellery enthusiasts, mentors and collaborators.

Follow Cora's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation & NOIR CATCHER Fine Jewellery

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Episode Summary:

In today's episode we meet Giovanni de Niederhäusern, a Senior Vice President of Pininfarina's Architecture unit. Giovanni shares with us his journey from managing various projects in the fields of design and architecture to becoming one of the driving forces behind Italy's legendary design and engineering company. Giovanni decodes Pininfarina's visionary architecture equation that is beauty + technology = impact, speaks about architecture at the forefront of environmental sustainability, and reveals the firm's fundamental protocol for social impact consisting of three pillars - 'additional', 'intentional' and 'measurable'. Listen to our episode co-hosted with the designer, engineer and a creative director of Milan's Md'A Design Agency - Kiana Talebpour.

The Speaker:

Starting from his days in academia, with an engineering and architecture degree in 2008, and in prominent professional experiences before and after (MIT Senseable City Lab as Research Affilate, 2009; and Carlo Ratti Associati, initially as designer and PM and then as CEO in 2017), Giovanni’s views on melding innovation with design and architecture have been the leitmotiv which also has brought into Pininfarina, after being appointed Senior Vice President of Architecture in 2019.His research work and proximity to Academic Institutions, as lecturer and speaker, allows him to drive his team to be at the forefront of architectural innovation.With a business approach honed by his international project management experience and an MBA in 2014, Giovanni is at the helm of the Architecture division to expand the company’s range of activities in design and architecture, reinterpreting the company’s philosophy and proposing a new perspective that equates impact with the combination of beauty and technology.

Hosts: Farah Piriye (ZG19) & Kiana Talebpour (Md'A Design Agency)

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Episode Summary: In this episode we meet designers Andrea and Simone from Studio Formafantasma, who share with us their vision on regenerating design through continuing the discipline by integrating more intelligent contemporary interventions, while taking a step back towards nature. In the current context of the pandemic, two of their exhibitions, 'Cambio' in Serpentine Galleries and Rijksmuseum's 'Baroque in Rome', are closed to the public; they tell us about their unforeseen challenges in a time of prolific changes and their thoughts on the enhanced opportunities in the digital dimension. The duo discusses the importance of slowing down, incorporating sustainability into the design process and their optimistic beliefs in a more collaborative future.

The Speakers: Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, known as Studio Formafantasma, are an Italian creative duo based in Amsterdam. They are revolutionaries in the design field, having a multidisciplinary research-based practice, acting as a bridge between craft, industry, object and user. Through their path of exploration, their work has been presented internationally in museums such as New York's Museum of Modern Art and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, London’s Serpentine Galleries, Victoria & Albert museum; Centre Pompidou in Paris, and many others. Whether designing for a client or investigating alternative applications of materials, Studio Formafantasma apply the same rigorous attention to context, process and detail to every project they undertake. The added nuance for the duo is that they do so with an eye to the historical, political and social forces that have shaped their environments. Esteemed design critics listed their studio amongst a handful of practices that would shape the future of design.

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova and Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

’Freedom is not a secret. It’s practice’, says our next guest speaker Alexis Pauline Gumbs, “a Queer Black Troublemaker and Black Feminist… whose work in this lifetime is to facilitate infinite, unstoppable ancestral love in practice.” In this intimate and candid conversation we dive into the poetical worlds of philosophy, Black feminism, and the concepts of mothering and daughtering with an invisible labor based behind the two. Today we ask Alexis her thoughts about the current state of ‘Apocalypse’, a never ending Healing, the legacy of one of the most powerful individuals of modernity Audre Lorde and Afro Caribbean culture. Alexis introduces us to eco-feminism and how her work contributes to the global conversation on environmentalism and climate change. Alexis’s writings have inspired international artists to create dance works, installation work, paintings, divination practices, operas, quilts and more.

The Speaker:

Alexis Pauline Gumbs` work is grounded in a community building ethic. As a co-founder member of UBUNTU A Women of Colour Survivor-Led Coalition to End Gendered Violence, Warrior Healers Organizing Trust and Earthseed Land Collective in Durham, NC, a member of the first visioning council of Kindred Southern Healing Justice Network and a participant in Southerners on New Ground, Allied Media Projects, Black Women’s Blueprint and the International Black Youth Summit for more than a decade she brings a passion for the issues that impact oppressed communities and an intimate knowledge of the resilience of movements led by Black, indigenous, working class women and queer people of colour. Her writings in key movement periodicals such as Make/Shift, Left Turn, The Abolitionist, Ms. Magazine, and the collections Abolition Now, The Revolution Starts at Home, Dear Sister and the Transformative Justice Reader have offered clarity and inspiration to generations of activists.Her book Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals is a series of meditations based on the increasingly relevant lessons of marine mammals in a world with a rising ocean levels.

Follow Alexis's journey on Instagram

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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Episode Summary:

«Искусство никому ничего не должно. У него нету каких то целей и задач, как и у коронавируса..»,- так размышляет наш сегодняшний интересный собеседник, ученик Кирилла Серебренникова, талантливый режиссёр Гоголь-центра Илья Шагалов, которого пандемия застала в Берлине. О новом формате онлайн-театра, о первом в своем роде десктоп спектакле «Феи», о классике видеоарта Билле Виоле, о провокаторе немецкого театра Франке Касторфе, об идее метамодерна и о многом другом вы услышите в этом выпуске Zeitgeist19.

The Speaker:

В 2008 го­ду окон­чил ак­терс­кий фа­куль­тет Крас­но­дарс­ко­го го­сударс­твен­но­го уни­вер­си­тета куль­ту­ры и ис­кусств. Пос­ле окон­ча­ния уни­вер­си­тета пос­ту­пил в ре­жис­серс­кую груп­пу мас­терс­кой Ки­рил­ла Се­реб­ренни­кова в Шко­ле-сту­дии МХАТ, из ко­торой впос­ледс­твии вы­рос­ла «Седь­мая сту­дия».Сре­ди ре­жис­серс­ких ра­бот Ша­гало­ва — сце­ничес­кое эс­се «Do­minus Mor­fi­us» по Сарт­ру и Дос­то­евс­ко­му (в рам­ках про­ек­та «Те­ат­раль­ный аль­ма­нах»), спек­такли «Ска­зоч­ная жизнь русс­ких де­вушек» по пь­есе Мар­га­рет Ми­рош­ник (Центр дра­матур­гии и ре­жис­су­ры), «Fun­ny dre­am» по «Сну смеш­но­го че­лове­ка» Дос­то­евс­ко­го (про­ект «Плат­форма»), опе­ра «Сны Ми­нотав­ра» (Те­атр На­ций), пос­та­нов­ка в «Scha­ubuh­ne» (Бер­лин, Гер­ма­ния). Был ас­систен­том ре­жис­се­ра на спек­такле Да­вида Бо­бе «Феи». С 2004 го­да Илья Ша­галов мно­го ра­бота­ет ви­де­оху­дож­ни­ком и вид­же­ем, участ­ву­ет в раз­личных фес­ти­валях ви­део-ар­та. Выс­ту­пал как ви­де­оху­дож­ник спек­таклей Ки­рил­ла Се­реб­ренни­кова «Ки­же» (МХТ име­ни Че­хова), «Око­лоно­ля» (Мос­ковс­кий те­атр п/р О. Та­бако­ва), «Вой­цек» (На­ци­ональ­ный те­атр Лат­вии), «Сон в лет­нюю ночь» и «Охо­та на Снар­ка» («Седь­мая сту­дия»).

Host: Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

In this episode we meet American researcher and academic Sara Naomi Bleich, who speaks about one of the long lasting side effects of COVID-19 - food insecurity. A former White House Fellow and a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michelle Obama's Let’s Move initiative, Sara discusses major issues of the food supply chain and a potential future recovery of the system, build through new adequate policies helping the ones who need the most, mainly lower income and minority populations. Sara advocates urgently addressing hunger for reaching the United Nations goal - Ending Hunger by 2030 - through a stronger and wisely moderated sustainable path.

Why is hunger even more urgent to address?

How can we end hunger by 2030?

Is there a political wheel to make these changes permanent?

The Speaker:

Sara Bleich is a Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She is also the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and a member of the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research provides evidence to support policies to prevent obesity and diet-related diseases, particularly among populations at higher risk. Sara is the past recipient of several awards including one for excellence in public interest communication. Sara was recently appointed as a White House Fellow (2015-2016) where she was a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative. She is currently an appointed member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. She holds degrees from Columbia (BA, Psychology) and Harvard (PhD, Health Policy).

Hosts: Farah Piriye & Elizabeth Zhivkova

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Episode Summary:

They say in the past scientist were called "natural philosophers", and we are honoured to launch our Season 2.0 No Man Is An Island, having one of the leading epidemiologists, internationally recognized for scientific contributions to HIV treatment, Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, on our platform, to discuss potential COVID-19 vaccination, the hazards of 'vaccine-nationalism', the significant milestones in HIV prevention, the inequality in medical care access and other major challenges and transformations in South Africa's health system and beyond. Prof Karim tells us about the fundamental belief of ubuntu, referring to 'I Am Because You Are', and his strong hopes for a better interconnected healthier world.

How can we control the spread of COVID-19?

What are the pros and cons of the new Coronavirus vaccine?

What are the hidden downsides of it?

What are the transformative events in curing HIV?

The Speaker:

Salim S. Abdool Karim, FRS, is a South African clinical infectious diseases epidemiologist widely recognized for scientific contributions to HIV prevention and treatment. He is Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, and CAPRISA Professor of Global Health at Columbia University, New York. He is an Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University, Boston, Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Cornell University, New York, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. He is an Associate Member of The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. He previously served as President of the South African Medical Research Council and is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and as a Member of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus and the Lancet Commission on COVID-19. Dr Abdool Karim is ranked among the world’s most highly cited scientists by Web of Science. He serves on the Boards of several journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Global Health, Lancet HIV and mBio. He is the Chair of the UNAIDS Scientific Expert Panel, WHO’s HIV Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee as well as the WHO TB-HIV Task Force. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Global Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His many awards include the African Union’s “Kwame Nkrumah Award” which is Africa’s most prestigious scientific award, the Kuwait Al-Sumait Award, the Canadian Gairdner Global Health Award and pinnacle awards from the African Academy of Sciences, Academy of Science in South Africa, Royal Society of South Africa and the South African Medical Research Council. He is a member of the US National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Microbiology and the Association of American Physicians. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Follow Prof. Karim's Journey on Twitter

Hosts: Elizabeth Zhivkova & Farah Piriye

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Episode Summary:

Released within the framework of Zeitgeist19’s participation at ASviS, Festival For Sustainable Development, this episode, co-led with the founder of Milan based studio MdA Design Agency Maddalena D’Alfonso, hosts the CEO of ToornendPartners, architect and special advisor for the ICOM working group on Sustainability, Jean Hilgersom. We meet him to talk about how the conversation about the 17SDGs has shifted over the past 5 years since they have been set by United Nations General Assembly, and what are the main principles of a sustainable museum.

About the Speaker: Jean Hilgersom, a CEO of ToornendPartners in Haarlem, has trained as an architect in the Netherlands and Switzerland. He is also a member of the ICOM working Group on International Committees and Special Advisor for the ICOM working group on Sustainability.

ToornendPartners is a consultancy firm with the focus on Project Management of cultural buildings, including museums and theatres. Jean has managed the projects for the large museum institutions in the Netherlands such as the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, RijksMuseum and Kröller-Müller Museum. Since 2011 member of the board of ICAMT, and from 2013 until 2019 the chair of ICAMT.

*In collaboration with MdA Design Agency, this episode is dedicated to the dilemma of multiculturalism in relation to the current global isolation.

Host: Farah Piriye

Co-host: Maddalena D’Alfonso & Kiana Talebpour, MdA Design Agency

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Episode Summary:

The current episode is co-hosted with Simon Butler, an artist, curator and founder of MigrateArt, an art charity that helps those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. In the current episode we meet a Myanmar-born graffiti artist Bart Was Not Here, who creates a body of work full of escapism and dry humour by mixing text and imagery from Burmese and global pop culture. In this candid conversation we talk about Bart’s artistic journey from discovering graffiti, to experiencing anti-muslim hatred, and being forced to leave the country, as Bart shares with us his thoughts on the harsh reality of Myanmar and the misrepresentation of Burmese culture globally.

The Speaker:

Bart Was Not Here, born on 19.2.1996 in Yangon, Burma, is a visual artist working with paintings, illustrations, murals, and sculptures based in Paris. He started painting graffiti on the streets of Yangon under the alias “Bart Was Not Here” when he was in 8th grade and he graduated high school in 2011-2012. He committed to painting graffiti and street art with his crew R.O.A.R after high school and went to Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore in 2014. He got a Fine Arts Diploma from Lasalle in 2018. As a graffiti artist he participated in a great number of group exhibitions in Burma as well as overseas. He debuted his solo exhibition titled God Complex at Myanm/art gallery in 2019. He has showcased his paintings in Saatchi Gallery as well as The Secretariat Building in Myanmar. His artworks are usually figurative with vibrant colored patterns and humorous text serving as punchlines. He is interested in world-building and storytelling within his art as he is inspired by the likes of Hieronymous Bosch, David Lynch, Neil Gaiman, and Jean “Moebius” Giraud. Kyaw Moe Khine is open to working with different concepts in his art but he loves working in the areas of myth, religion, icons, pop culture, and satire. He also believes humour can be used as a weapon in art. He’s in the middle of his art residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris.

The Co-Host:

Simon Butleris a curator, social entrepreneur and artist based in London. He founded Migrate Artin 2016 after visiting the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France for the first time. This poignant experience inspired him to use his years of experience in the art world to help those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. To date, Migrate Art has raised over £550,000, helped thousands of people across Europe and the Middle East and worked with some of the world's leading artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Raqib Shaw.

Host: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 Foundation

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