Pamela Karimi

Pamela Karimi is a trained architect and historian of art and architecture with expertise in the modern and contemporary Middle East. She obtained her Ph.D. from MIT's History, Theory & Criticism of Art and Architecture Program in 2009. Prior to her appointment at Cornell, Dr. Karimi taught at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Brandeis University, NYU, and Wellesley College.

Karimi's research lies at the intersection of architecture, art, environmental studies, and socio-political dynamics. This interdisciplinary approach synthesizes insights from ecological, creative, and socio-political spheres. By exploring these intersections, Karimi's work fosters a holistic understanding of how physical spaces, environmental factors, and societal forces interact and shape one another. Supported by a year-long fellowship at the Käte Hamburger Institute at the University of Heidelberg, her current book project, tentatively titled Survival by Design: Desert Architecture at the End of the World, investigates the evolution of architecture and environmental transformations in arid regions from the Cold War era to the present. Her award-winning monograph, Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art and Critical Spatial Practice (Stanford University Press, 2022), provides a nuanced exploration of how Iranian artists, theatre experts, curators, architects, and designers navigate spatial complexities amid restrictive state regulations. Karimi's forthcoming book, supported by the Persian Heritage Foundation and to be published by Leuven/Cornell University Press, offers an insightful analysis of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran. This study uncovers grassroots artistic movements and their crucial role in shaping more democratic public spaces. Currently, Dr. Karimi is collaborating on Cultural History of Asian Art, a comprehensive collection of books offering fresh interpretations of Asian art and architecture over the past 2500 years.

Dr. Karimi's work transcends Iranian borders, addressing urgent and critical socio-political and environmental issues globally. She coedited The Destruction of Cultural Heritage: From Napoleon to ISIS with Dr. Nasser Rabbat (MIT), tackling urgent concerns in heritage preservation. Her research also encompasses sustainability and design in North America, exemplified by her coedited volume Reinventing the American Post-Industrial City (2014) and her curation of the acclaimed traveling exhibition Black Spaces Matter (2017-2019). Funded by the UMass President's Office Creative Economy Initiatives, this exhibition explored the intersection of race and architecture in 19th-century New Bedford, MA. These accomplishments have attracted attention from major media outlets, including WBUR, Hyperallergic, Al-Jazeera, NPR, The Washington Post, and the BBC.

In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Karimi has held several leadership positions, including the directorship of the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Community Engagement Initiatives at UMass Dartmouth. She has served as Chair of the Aggregate Architectural History Collaborative, board member of the Thresholds Journal (MIT Press), and treasurer of the Association of Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World, Iran, and Turkey. Karimi's multifaceted career exemplifies her commitment to bridging academic research with real-world issues, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and nurturing the next generation of scholars and practitioners.

Academic Research/Specialty Areas

  • Architectural history
  • Architectural theory
  • Collaborative practice
  • Ecological practice
  • Participatory and collaborative planning
  • Sustainability
  • Architecture and Environmental Issues
  • Gender Equality and Spatial Justice
  • Post-Industrial Cities
  • Middle East and North African Studies
  • Iranian Studies

Related News

Classes (Selected)

  • ARCH 6800/6408: Architecture and Environment

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships (Selected)

  • The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Book Award for Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art and Critical Spatial Practice (given every two years for the best scholarly monograph on topics in history, society, politics, economics, and cultures related to modern Iran and the Persian Gulf, broadly defined). Administrated by Princeton University (2024)
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend (2023)
  • The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (2022)
  • Millard Miess Publication Fund, College Art Association of America (2021)
  • Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching, The University of Massachusetts System (2018)

Exhibitions and Presentations (Selected)

  • Black Spaces Matter, McCormick Gallery, Boston Architectural College, November 2017–January 2018
  • Stateless: Artists Respond to the Refugee Crisis, University Art Gallery, New Bedford, MA, November 2016–January 2017
  • Exploring Urban Identities in De-industrialized Cities, New Bedford Art Museum, January–February 2013

Publications (Selected)

  • Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran, forthcoming by Leuven University Press (2024)
  •  Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art & Critical Spatial Practice, Stanford University Press (2022)
  •  Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran: Interior Revolutions of the Modern Era (Routledge, 2013); Translated into Persian by Shirazeh Press, Tehran, Iran (2021)

Selected Work

  • A woman dressed in all black ducking down as she walks through a tunnel.

    Karimi at Work: Conducting research at the CalEarth Institute, Hesperia, California. image / provided

  • A cluster of geodesic dome tents set up on wooden platforms in a desert landscape. The domes are beige with small circular windows and are equipped with air conditioning units. The surrounding area features vast sandy terrain and towering rocky cliffs under a clear sky.

    Geodesic Domes at a remote tourist site in Wadi Rum, Jordan. image / provided

  • Book cover of 'Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art and Critical Spatial Practice' by Pamela Karimi. The cover features an image of a group of people in traditional attire gathered inside a brick-walled room, some seated and some standing, engaging in a dynamic scene. The title and author's name are overlaid in bright yellow text.

    Cover of Karimi’s book, Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art & Critical Spatial Practice, Stanford University Press (2022). image / provided

  • Book cover of 'Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran' by Pamela Karimi. The cover features an image of an art installation within a room of metal scaffolding, with an image of a woman crying projected in the middle. The title and author's name are overlaid in white text.

    Cover of Karimi’s book, Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran, forthcoming by Leuven University Press (2024). image / provided

  • Exhibition space with a focus on 'Black Spaces Matter.' The glass window has white text displaying the exhibition title, 'BLACK SPACES MATTER,' and details, 'Exploring the Aesthetics and Architectonics of an Abolitionist Neighborhood, November 19 — January 29.' Inside, various displays and informational boards are visible, showcasing images, diagrams, and artifacts related to the theme.

    A snapshot from Karimi’s curated exhibition, Black Spaces Matter at the McCormick Gallery, Boston Architectural College (2018). image / provided

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