“Tomorrow Will”: An Exhibition by Brief Shalimar, Co-Founded by AMT Alumni
By Olina Olseth
Brief Shalimar is a periodic, artist-run, experimental art salon, co-founded by BFA Art, Media and Technology alumni Zahra Mansoor (Director of Brief Shalimar), Demir Ramazanov, and Keerthena Karthikeyan. Named after Lahore’s Shalimar Gardens—a Persian “charbagh” paradise, reimagined across time from Guerlain’s Shalimar perfume to Laurence Hope’s Kashmiri Song—the salon serves as a space to explore utopia through collective, hybrid art experiences. Rooted in experimentation and collaboration, Brief Shalimar provides a dynamic platform for emerging and independent artists to share work and foster interdisciplinary dialogue. Its third edition, Tomorrow Will, invites viewers to reflect on the idea of tomorrow as a promise—sometimes kept, sometimes broken; a mirage—sometimes bringing hope, sometimes weariness—and to imagine how we envision the future.
Preview of artwork featured in Tomorrow Will. Zahra Mansoor, An old, old, old story, Photography, 29.7 x 21 cm, 2025.
Opening on April 27th, Tomorrow Will brings together 15 artists whose practices span sculpture, photography, drawing, and more. Among them is Clara Fortis, a current AMT senior at Parsons Paris, selected through the salon’s open call. The exhibition also features works by Brief Shalimar’s co-founders—Demir, Zahra, and Keerthena—who contribute distinct artistic perspectives shaped by their shared background in Art, Media, and Technology at Parsons Paris.
Preview of artworks featured in Tomorrow Will. Image 1: Demir Ramazanov, LOOK 2: TABLEAUX VIVANTS, Photography, 60 × 80 cm, 2025. Image 2: Clara Fortis, Muscle Memory, Steel, 15 × 22.5 × 13.5 cm, 2023.
In addition to his work with Brief Shalimar, Demir Ramazanov is a member of Heresy (@heresy404), a Paris-based art and music collective, where he recently exhibited at an event held on April 12th. Zahra Mansoor is currently in residence at POUSH and is co-curating an exhibition at Beaux-Arts Paris, titled Chère Melpomène, running from April 9th to June 1st. Meanwhile, Keerthena Karthikeyan, after completing her AMT degree at Parsons Paris, is now interning at Semaine, a sister media agency to Vie Projects, the gallery space where Tomorrow Will will be hosted.
The Brief Shalimar team also includes alumni from other Parsons Paris programs, such as Fiona McDonnell and Lucy Savannah Berry, both graduates of the BBA Strategic Design and Management program. Fiona leads the salon’s drinks and hospitality curation, while Lucy works as Brief Shalimar’s production coordinator—making the salon a collaborative space shaped by a diverse range of skills, expertise, and artistic talents.
The graphic identity and invitation for Tomorrow Will were designed by Zuzanna Zagorska, AMT alumna and Brief Shalimar’s Communication Coordinator.
We warmly encourage students, alumni, faculty, and anyone who wishes to see this diverse collection of work to attend Tomorrow Will—not only to experience sculpture, photography, and drawing, but also to see how AMT students, recent graduates, and more established alumni are navigating the professional art world. It’s a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the transition from art school to creative practice and to connect with a growing network of emerging and independent artists.
PROGRAM – April 27, 2025 | 2:00–8:00 p.m.
Venue: Vie Projects, 55 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
16h00 – Poetic reading by Masha Krupnova & Keynote from Brief Shalimar curatorial team (Zahra Mansoor, Demir Ramazanov, Keerthena Karthikeyan, Terence Berchman)
17h00 – Roundtable: Clara Fortis, Gayatri Juvekar, Demir Ramazanov, Zahra Mansoor
18h00 – Roundtable: Drupad Prasad Mudda, Mercedes Loyd, Terence Berchman, Keerthena Karthikeyan
19h00 – Performance intervention produced by Tara-Tess Vatanpour
Stay tuned, as we’ll soon be sharing an interview with some of the Brief Shalimar co-founders and AMT alumni—diving into how they founded this artist salon, their transition after graduating from Parsons Paris and entering the job field, and their advice for young and emerging artists and designers living and working in Paris.
For updates, follow on Instagram:
@briefshalimar
@parsonsparis.artmedia
Preview of artwork featured in Tomorrow Will. Keerthana Karthikeyan, Fragments, Mixed media installation, 2024.