DIWAN: Was machen wir noch hier?!

Im Rahmen von Houbara - Resonanzen Iran

In light of the current debates and developments surrounding the hotly debated topic of migration, it is reasonable to ask whether Germany is a good adopted home for migrants at all. This panel goes one step further and addresses the question of how we can make this place - a legitimate adopted home for many - a better society for us all.

Therefore, the participants of this panel ask themselves what is already being done by migrants for this society and what can be done further. How can we find a common path to a better society? A special focus will be placed on the cultural sector, as this is one of the most important areas of our society that enables and at the same time promotes encounters and understanding.

Participants

• Golnar Shahyar: Iranian/Austrian singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist

• Navid Razavi (vrtx_void): Transdisciplinary media artist

• Kaveh Schmitz: Chairman of the board of DIWAN - Deutsch-iranische Begegnungen e.V.

Kaveh Schmitz (Moderation)
Kaveh Schmitz is a German-Iranian cultural and IT manager. As a bridge builder, Kaveh combines the elements of the different worlds to which he belongs. Like other kindred spirits, he hangs between "neither-nor" and "as-well-as" and strives to turn the theoretical contradictions into reality in his cosmos in Cologne. He acts as a project manager, moderator and networker between German and Persian, between music and computer science. As a board member of "DIWAN e.V." and "Globale Musik Köln e.V.", he is involved in shaping the cultural landscape of this city.

Golnar Shahyar
With a masterful and fresh approach to the art of musical storytelling, Iranian-Canadian vocalist and composer Golnar Shahyar combines elements of contemporary jazz, microtonal modes from Southwest Asia, polyrhythmic grooves, European chamber and experimental music to create an original sound. A sound that elegantly draws attention to a new generation of creatives in the European diaspora whose approach and cultural references challenge the usual notions of what contemporary music could/should be.

Navid Razavi
In his wide-ranging portfolio, which includes individual projects, international collaborations and stage productions, Navid Razavi specializes in the development of innovative projects in the field of new media, with a clear focus on immersion and interactivity. Razavi's artistic approach consists of deconstructing metanarratives and skillfully merging their components into captivating hybrids of audiovisual performances and interactive installations. A particular focus of Razavi's is to design site-specific scenographies that expand the impact of his work, seamlessly blending technology and art to redefine the boundaries of contemporary expression.