Most recent articles by Changiz M. Varzi
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Iranian artist Farzaneh Khademian's "Peephole"Women living "life without a life"
In her latest exhibition in Japan, Farzaneh Khademian depicts figures who seem detached from their surroundings. In interview with Qantara.de, the Iranian photographer and painter explains the impact of photography, migration and gender-based inequality on her paintings. By Changiz M. Varzi
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Book review: Raihana Raha's "My Mother's Tales"Fairy tales depicting independent Afghan women
Raihana Raha's debut book, a collection of Afghan tales, offers a timely perspective on the history of Afghanistan, its patriarchal society and social morality, as the Taliban makes rapid territorial gains. By Changiz M. Varzi
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Modern Persian literatureFive Farsi novels and their impact on Iranian pop culture
Thinking of novels about Iran, the first titles that spring to mind might be "Persepolis", "Reading Lolita in Tehran" or "Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America". Internationally acclaimed books they may be, yet few will have heard of them inside the Islamic Republic. Changiz M. Varzi selects some seminal modern works penned in Farsi
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Interview with British Pakistani novelist Tariq MehmoodFighting warplanes with words
Tariq Mehmood′s latest novel ″Song of Gulzarina″ is an arresting tale of love, loss and longing set against the backdrop of a never-ending war. In interview with Changiz M. Varzi, the award-winning author addresses issues of identity and how racism and Islamophobia can leave an indelible mark
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Civil rights in Lebanon″Reclaiming Beirut′s public space″
In June this year, Beirut′s largest green space, Horsh Beirut, re-opened to the public after an extended period of closure. Thanks to a strong campaign led by the NGO Nahnoo, citizens are once more able to enjoy strolling under the pines. By Changiz M. Varzi
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″Deportation Regime″ at Copenhagen′s CAMP art galleryThe right of blood
CAMP describes itself as a exhibition venue ″for art discussing questions of displacement, migration, immigration and asylum.″ Changiz M. Varzi visited its latest exhibition – Deportation Regime
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Arab Puppet Theatre Foundation
One thousand sinking dinghies
The silent puppet performance ″One Thousand and One Titanics″ creatively combines traditional performing techniques such as shadow and glove puppetry with pantomime, music and dance to tell the story of those displaced by war and conflict. By Changiz M. Varzi
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Lebanon′s architectural heritageA race against time
Old Beirut is slowly dying. Remnants of the Lebanese capital′s architectural heritage have survived two world wars, fifteen years of civil war, the 2006 Summer War, as well as hundreds of car bombings, suicide attacks and assassinations. Yet now, writes Changiz Varzi, there′s a new, inexorable threat: real estate development