Iranian-Canadian curator Elham Puriya Mehr talks Derry and coffeehouses after research project at Void Art Centre

During her one week curatorial residency she worked with local people to map the city’s coffeehouses. She aims to create an archive of what is ungraspable, capturing the intangible memories and stories that have been lost over time and opening a space to activate the potentialities of these ‘spectres’.

The ‘Journal asked her about her work and her experiences of Derry, Ireland and the Void Art Centre.

Can you tell us about yourself and your work?

I am a researcher who approaches curatorial as a research and artistic practice. My work focuses on cultural devices and collective learning techniques, particularly through the potentialities of 'events' in social spaces. I am deeply interested in coffeehouses and their possibilities as alternative spaces for knowledge-making and emancipation, exploring how they foster new vocabularies, practices, and knowledge.

How was your experience of Derry in particular and Ireland in general?

I had the privilege of undertaking a one-week research residency at Void Art Centre in Derry, followed by a three-day visit to Dublin. This journey to Ireland was a profoundly moving experience that underscored the cultural differences between the two cities and their significance for me as a researcher. In a world increasingly represented by universalism and generalization, which tend to blur our perceptions of one another, finding alternative ways to develop knowledge about each other feels more urgent than ever.

Living, breathing, eating, and walking in Derry—even for a week—was a deeply grounding experience, offering me an unexpected sense of belonging that I am still processing. It was a haptic and embodied experience, far surpassing anything I could have gleaned from reading about the city and its history beforehand. While prior research provided context, it could not compare to the depth of insight gained through being in the city and connecting with its hospitable, knowledgeable, and open community.

During my time in Derry, I had the opportunity to meet incredible people—artists, curators, historians, designers, scholars, and directors, as well as baristas, teachers, doctors, and those working in local restaurants and cafes. Each encounter enriched my understanding of the city and its vibrant present, adding layers to my ongoing research and personal reflection.

My visit to Dublin deepened my understanding of my connection to Derry. While there, I attended the Seamus Heaney exhibition and spent hours immersed in his poetry. This experience illuminated how poetry, literature, and music, as forms of resistance, serve as profound threads linking me to Derry, deepening my sense of belonging and connection to the city.

Can you tell us about your research in Derry?

I joined Void Art Centre for a week-long curatorial residency as part of my two-year research project, The Third Space: The Affective Atmosphere of Coffeehouses. Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, this project examines how the distinctive atmospheres of coffeehouses serve as alternative learning environments.

Ireland’s first coffeehouses emerged in the mid-17th century, closely tied to the publishing world, particularly newspapers. Many publishers not only owned these coffeehouses but also used them as spaces to distribute reading materials. Given the prohibitive cost of books—often inflated by publishing taxes—coffeehouses provided free access to reading material, fostering a vibrant culture of knowledge exchange. Their extensive archives of international books and newspapers were easily accessible to patrons, enriching social and cultural life in cities like Derry. The Derry Journal, established in 1772, exemplifies this relationship between coffeehouses and publishing.

My research spans Tehran, London, Trieste, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Vancouver, and now Derry, investigating the role of coffeehouses in performative and transdisciplinary contexts. In Derry, I explored the city's historical and cultural connection to coffeehouses through on-site visits, archival research, a curator’s talk, a collaborative event at Offing Café, and meetings with local artists, writers, and scholars.

The residency began with a potluck at Void Art Centre, where I presented my research to a wonderful group of artists, curators, directors, and scholars from Derry’s art scene. The residency culminated in an event at Offing Café, where I invited the community to gather for coffee, conversation, and collaboration in mapping the city's coffeehouses. The goal was to build an archive of the intangible—ungraspable memories and stories lost over time—while activating the potentialities of these ‘spectres’.

Through the sharing of personal stories, photographs, and addresses of coffeehouses (even those that no longer exist), we collectively explored coffeehouses as spaces of learning, community, and cultural resonance. This participatory approach not only uncovered hidden narratives but also emphasized the enduring role of coffeehouses in shaping communal life.

Your focus recently has been on cafés and coffeehouses as social hubs and centres of creativity and cultural production. Do you think the social importance and function of these spaces - similar to the Irish pub - is sometimes underestimated?

Yes, I believe Western intellectualism tends to legitimize only the knowledge it cultivates within universities and formal institutions, often overlooking the profound role of social spaces like pubs and coffeehouses in shaping collective knowledge. These spaces have historically brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering societal transformation and facilitating the creation and dissemination of public knowledge. I see them as essential ‘third spaces’, places where we can exercise the freedom to converse, share, and connect—something increasingly vital in our contemporary world.

From my experiences in Derry and Buncrana, I’ve witnessed the significant influence of such spaces in inspiring creativity, particularly in the arts and music. I hope to encourage people to rediscover the potential of these vital social environments, to spend time learning from one another, and perhaps even co-creating new forms of knowledge.

In your view, these social outlets seem to perform a similar role wherever you are in the world?

The mutual materiality that brings people together in these social spaces is coffee—a substance imbued with the complex memory of colonialism. Despite this history, coffee has proven remarkably powerful in gathering people and giving rise to coffeehouses. However, as Lefebvre aptly states, ‘social space is a social product’, meaning that each society creates its own distinct forms of social spaces. This idea underpins my research as I travel to different cities, exploring their cultural techniques of gathering and learning, as well as the unique forms that coffee has shaped in rituals of drinking and conversation.

Do you fear the increasingly generic character of high streets and main streets all over the world threatens this kind of culture?

I do not fear the proliferation of coffee shops as products of capitalism—places where we briefly exchange money for coffee and leave. However, coffeehouses are fundamentally different. They create a space between home and society, fostering community and empowering us to develop and shape culture through events like conversations, music, exhibitions, and shared meals. My research seeks to bridge the history of a city with its future by reimagining these spaces.

In every city I visit, I focus on a subject related to coffeehouses that resonates with its unique culture. In Derry, for example, I explored Coffeehouses as an Image, emphasizing the collective potential of Derry's remarkable people to envision and shape their own future. I believe it’s time to reclaim our social spaces by transforming the transactional nature of coffee shops into the cultural vibrancy of coffeehouses.

How was your experience of the Void Art Centre?

I am deeply grateful to the Void Art Centre for supporting my research in Derry and allowing me to learn so much from the city. The team was incredible—from Viviana Checchia, the director, to Cecelia Graham, Mitch Conlon, Shakira Nelis, and Neil Doherty. Their unwavering support and kindness meant so much to me.

Void also connected me with many wonderful people in Derry, enabling me to form new friendships and collaborations that I am excited to carry forward. In Iranian poetry, Rumi beautifully says: "To be one in heart is better than to be one in tongue." This sentiment reflects the deep connections and shared understanding I experienced during my time in Derry. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Derry and encourage both them and the Arts Council to continue supporting the Void Art Centre's public projects. Such initiatives play a vital role in fostering connections among individuals, amplifying their stories, and encouraging active participation in shaping their future through art.