Experience is our course. Paadmaan is a curatorial platform dedicated to dialogue and exploration, where art bridges science to deepen our perception of life’s ever-changing conditions. Through transdisciplinary projects, workshops, and programs, Paadmaan aims to create spaces for collaboration, education, and public engagement—cultivating curiosity and connection among humans, technology, and the living world.
… KvK Number: 94525366
History
Founded in 2018 in Tehran by artist-curator Foad Alijani, Paadmaan (meaning ‘safeguard’ in Persian) began as a space for contemporary art. In 2023, it relocated to Amsterdam, and in 2024 established its current base in Rotterdam, expanding its reach while maintaining its roots in transformative dialogues. Over the years, Paadmaan has evolved through a series of curatorial initiatives engaging with cultural and environmental contexts, prioritizing embodied research over institutional norms.
Approach
At Paadmaan, art and science are not viewed as isolated disciplines but as intertwined tools for navigating the fluid boundaries of self and surroundings. Our programming emphasizes:
● Dialogue as Method: Ongoing conversations that bridge personal introspection with collective reflection.
● Curatorial Experimentation: Projects that challenge conventional frameworks, creating room for underrepresented voices and unconventional practices.
● Embodied Encounters: Initiatives that invite participants to engage sensorially with their environments, inspiring the transformation of passive observation into active narration.
the life-world which is the world of immediate experience
Projects
Paadmaan’s curatorial programming spans presentations, exhibitions, workshops, and publications. The format includes mid- and long-term projects, collaborative labs, and the overall layout of ongoing activities. These efforts aim to cultivate alternative pathways for artists and thinkers to progress through flux.