International Arrivals

International Arrivals speaks with transdisciplinary artist Gita Hashemi (Iran/Canada) (gitaha.net) about her project Grounding: States of Gender, which explores identity, language, and personal narrative. This embodied performative writing project transcribes stories of her friend Zahra through calligraphic writing in black and red painted onto giant scrolls. Unlike Hashemi, who left Iran after the 1979 revolution, Zahra remained. Hashemi discusses womanhood, activism, the significance of using Farsi in the artwork, the challenges of addressing sensitive topics, and the idea of transmission. Reflecting on the current protests in Iran, and the continued significance of this project, Hashemi emphasises the need for international support and solidarity for Iranian freedom and self-determination. * This podcast was recorded early in 2026, prior to the US and Israel launching airstrikes in Iran. Photo by Justin Wonnacott

International Arrivals speaks with Filipino American artist duo Abang-guard, Maureen Catbagan and Jevijoe Vitug (Phillipines/USA) (https://maureencatbagan.com/) about their current exhibition, Makibaka, at the Queens Museum in which they use the 1964-65 New York World's Fair's Philippines and New York State Pavilions as an entrance for talking about the importance of 1965 for Filipino American labor history. They emphasize the importance of community archives and the interplay between institutional critique and personal narratives, aiming to reclaim and reframe Filipino American history. Their work reconsiders the importance of monuments, Little Manila(s), The Delano grape strike, and pays homage to the bridge generation who came to find their American dream. The title of their exhibition, Makibaka, is a rallying cry: fight to live, live to fight, dare to struggle, dare to win. It's a slogan that resistance and protest movements used against the Marcos dictatorship and martial law during the 70s and 80s and has become the regular rallying cry of Filipino activists fighting against oppressive systems, both in the Philippines and abroad.

International Arrivals speaks with artist Lau Wai (Hong Kong/USA) (https://www.w-a-i-studio.com/) who discusses their video work, the growth of AI, and the relationship between virtual reality and our physical world. Their work explores identity formation through personal and historic archives, cinematic imagery, and emerging technologies. The recent exhibition entitled "Facial Recognition" at Jane Lombard Gallery in New York, featured Lau Wai's "Decrypted Sentient 02," a video work with two digitally generated entities discussing their existence and questioning which one of them is the original. Through this work, and others, Wai blurs the boundaries of virtual and physical realities while addressing the impact of AI and digital representation.

International Arrivals speaks with multi-disciplinary artist Lara Baladi (Egypt/Lebanon) (tahrirarchives.com). Baladi discusses Tahrir Cinema" an influential public pop-up cinema that served as a platform where filmmakers, artists, activists and civilians could share their stories during the 2011 Egyptian uprisings, aka Arab Spring. She talks about the current atmosphere in Egypt and censorship in the arts. Emphasizing the voices of the people, Vox Populi, Tahrir Archives her continuing project, includes a series of artworks and publications. The culmination of which is Anatomy of Revolution, an ABC and Archive of Revolting. This project (a website and series of installations), offers a visual lexicon of resistance and global protests and speaks to the importance of archiving as resistance itself. This discussion touches on the impact of social media, and artistic strategies employed during times of upheaval. Baladi's project Anatomy of Revolution, which aims to reinterpret historical narratives through a collaborative platform, involves workshops in the context of art spaces, conferences, and universities, focusing on the importance of visual connections in making complex information accessible to facilitate research, and critical thinking.

International Arrivals speaks with artist Hangama Amiri (Afghanistan/Canada) (http://www.hangamaamiri.com/) about her work that incorporates painting and textiles to memorialize her diasporic experience and elevate women's spaces, voices, and experiences. Her journey has had many stops from Peshawar to Kabul, Halifax to New Haven. Amiri discusses glittery fabrics, life in the bazaar, and women's roles in Afghan culture.

International Arrivals speaks with artist Christhian C. Diaz Silva (Colombia/USA) (https://christhiandiaz.com/) about his recent performance at Movement Research and his path from cleaning offices with his mother to his life as an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and legal immigration advocate.

International Arrivals speaks with interdisciplinary artist Helina Metaferia (Ethiopia/USA)(https://helinametaferia.com) about the Ethiopian diaspora in the US, her use of archives and collage in her work, and what it means to be radical and disruptive.

International Arrivals speaks with visual artist Jose Campos aka Studio Lenca (El Salvador/USA/UK) (https://www.studiolenca.com/) about his latest projects, his journey from El Salvador to the US, where he and his mother were undocumented, and eventually becoming a citizen of the UK. He speaks about collaborating with local communities and the utopia of El Jardin where multitudes of species and identities can thrive harmoniously.

International Arrivals speaks with interdisciplinary artist Golnar Adili (Iran/USA) (https://golnaradili.com) about her movement between Iran and the US, her relationship with her father, and the archive.

International Arrivals speaks with Katya Grokhovsky (Ukraine/Australia/USA), interdisciplinary artist and Founding Director of the Immigrant Artist Biennial, about her work, immigration and movement. (https://www.katyagrokhovsky.net) The second Immigrant Artist Biennial opens in New York on September 8, 2023. (https://www.theimmigrantartistbiennial.com)

International Arrivals speaks with Belarus-American artist Alina Bliumis (https://www.alinabliumis.com/) about her series Bruises, Tips for New Americans, and her upcoming opening at Situations Gallery in New York's Lower East Side.

International Arrivals speaks with British artist Harold Offeh (www.haroldoffeh.com) about his latest project, migration, place, and embodied histories at the Van Gogh House in London, England.