Self-Publishing as Resistance

Self-Publishing as Resistance Book Launch & Artist Talk 19.07.2025 6:30 p.m. SomoS Arts is pleased to host “Self-Publishing as Resistance,” a special event centered on the collaborative and independent publishing project Nashr, founded by Iranian artist Afshin Chizari in 2023. Organized by Tehran Contemporary Sounds, the event includes the Berlin launch of Mirroring, a newly published monograph of artworks by Afshin Chizari. The book serves as a visual record of Chizari’s sustained engagement with the psychological and sociopolitical tensions of contemporary life in Iran. The event brings together a temporary exhibition, a live artist talk, and the first public presentation of five projects developed and published by Nashr. Through projected materials and conversation, Chizari will walk the audience through the motivations, processes, and stories behind the publications. Select books and prints will be available for purchase. This event bridges print, projection, and exchange to create a multisensory experience that explores independent publishing as both artistic expression and political gesture. About Afshin Chizari Born 1988 in Tehran, Afshin Chizari is a visual artist working primarily through painting and printmaking. A graduate of the School of Art and Architecture in Tehran, they have participated in numerous exhibitions in Iran and internationally, including Schiesslhaus AIR (Germany), Tanzpol (Berlin), and the Schaubühne Berlin. Emphasizing slowness in their process, Chizari composes intimate visual narratives that engage with memory, behavior, dreams, and perception, often based on photographic source material. Their current work centers on mnemonic construction, visual detail, and the aesthetics of loss. The artist lives and works between Berlin and Tehran. About Tehran Contemporary Sounds Tehran Contemporary Sounds (TCS) is a Berlin-based platform that presents contemporary, experimental, and cross-disciplinary work from Iran and its diaspora. Through concerts, screenings, exhibitions, and publishing projects, TCS fosters cultural exchange and visibility for independent Iranian voices in the arts. TCS was founded by Behrooz Moosavi, a Berlin-based musician, producer, and curator. He is known for his role in Iran’s underground music scene, has composed for over 200 short films and commercials, and currently works as a projection mapping expert with MXWendler in Berlin. Details Self-Publishing as Resistance Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 | Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Program: 7:00 p.m. Location: SomoS Arts – Kottbusser Damm 95, 1.0G, 10967 Berlin Public transport: U8 – Schönleinstraße, exit Schinkestraße