‘Minevissam (I am writing) مينويسم’ explores language and fragmented memory through the fictional journeys of a poet, a painter, and an owl. These characters communicate across time and place, intertwining histories of movement and belonging. Rooted in Iranian traditions such as poetry, oral histories and visual inscription, the film reimagines storytelling through voice and tactile form.
Created in intimate collaboration with friends and family, ‘Minevissam’ weaves multilingual poems, hand-drawn imagery, and layered sound. With the help of her father, Kohandel inscribes text and braille directly onto the filmstrip, echoing the etymology of cinematography as “writing in movement”. The film becomes a material archive of diasporic identities, one that resists colonial and normative notions of archiving.
Accompanied by a new series of film-etchings, the exhibition offers an intimate encounter with intergenerational memories and remembering, inviting us to listen and witness the evolving possibilities of how stories are told, preserved, and shared across sensory boundaries.
A programme of related events and contextual materials will accompany the exhibition, with further details to be announced via the LUX website.
“and the daughter began to tell a story
about seeing when colours remain silent to you
about listening, when words refuse blooming anew” – Niki Kohandel
Artist Biography
Niki Kohandel (b. 2000, Paris) is an artist, filmmaker and facilitator based in London. Her practice sits in the space between recording and rewriting a story. She works in collaboration with family members, friends and young people, playing with languages, analogue film, childhood memories and colours. In 2021, she co-founded Shahre Farang, a collective supporting children and young people who have newly arrived in the UK through multi-disciplinary story-telling sessions.
Her films have been shown in group screenings and exhibitions, at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Anthology Film Archives, ICA London, Metroland Studios, Cubitt Gallery and online through Another Screen. Her last shorts were included in programmes as part of the BFI London Film Festival, Open City Documentary Festival, Istanbul Documentary Days, London Short Film Festival and Aesthetica Short Film Festival amongst others.
Accessibility Information
Getting here: LUX is located in Waterlow Park (Highgate), near the Dartmouth Park Lodge Gate on Dartmouth Park Hill. Please note Waterlow Park is on a hill and from Archway Station there is a steep walk up Highgate Hill.
Address: LUX, Waterlow Park Centre, Dartmouth Park Hill, London, N19 5JF, UK.
Entrance location on what3words https://w3w.co/rates.fallen.joins
Step Free Access: The LUX building is wheelchair accessible and there are wheelchair accessible toilet facilities.
Auditory/Visual Access: We have hearing loops, a large print guide and magnifying glasses available in the space. The film will be available with Audio Description.
You can learn more about detailed access information on our website. If you have any access needs to attend our events please contact us at +44(0)20 3141 2960 or [email protected].
