Based in Tehran, Erfan Ghiasi is a cultural saboteur who shatters realities and speculates new possibilities. Drawing on the concept of حَرْبَة (ḥarba) – a term signifying both “weapon” in Arabic and “cunning” in Farsi —he crafts interventionist happenings and installations that investigate the intersections of Geohistory, (counter-)narratives of control, worldmaking, and spatial politics, framed within the philosophy of Speculative Realism.
Ghiasi’s academic journey led him to earn a BFA in Cinema from the Art University of Tehran in 2012, followed by an MFA in Studio Art from Louisiana State University in 2019. He expanded his curatorial experience by participating in the #5 Autumn School of Curating, held in Cluj, Romania, in 2023, the #6 Curatorial Intensive South Asia (CISA), an initiative of the Khoj International Artists’ Association and the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, in New Delhi, India, in 2024, and Gwangju Biennale International Curator Academy in Gwangju, South Korea in 2025.
Ghiasi is also recognized as the co-founder of the Tehran Summit and the curator of the Tehran Biennale, two parallel heretic initiatives, showcasing his commitment to fostering discourses on contemporary aesthetics and philosophy, exploring new dynamics in public spaces, collective experiences, and stimulating cultural exchange within his local community and beyond.