SMET, Setareh Noorani  and Matt Plezier

Setareh and Matt work as an informal interdisciplinary duo.

SMET’s reuse of everyday (production) materials translates situated stories into accessible concepts. Their engagement with (self)publishing and spatial interventions result in a multidisciplinary approach, transforming theory into action.

With their first project, entitled Shelter In Place commissioned by Hotel Maria Kapel (2020), they began their research into squatting history, DIY cultures and ideas that exist and thrive in the margins, or as Fred Moten calls it “the non-in-between space”. These are ideas that flourish, not because of their visibility or institutional recognition, but because they happen out of sight, arising from urgencies. The ecology of grassroots initiatives often turns out to be a lifeline for diverse, disadvantaged communities, as well as a (living) archive of past and present knowledge. Carefully and carefully tapping the sources of resistance, channelling these actions into contemporary inspirations, characterises SMET’s work.

_

Setareh has a background in architecture (TU Delft, graduating in 2019) and currently works as a researcher for The New Institute, Rotterdam. Moving within the grey space between academic research and art, Setareh focuses on the disruption, dislocation and exposure of archives through spatial research and (self)publishing.

Matt‘s current art and publishing practice is informed by DIY ethics, stemming from his long involvement with punk and underground scenes. This leads to an approach that is both sensitive to diverse contexts and aimed at a wide dissemination of subjects.