Pejman Ayoubzadeh: From law studies to art studies

Pejman Ayoubzadeh's path to the Kunsthochschule Kassel is extraordinary. Born and raised in Bushehr, a port city on the Persian Gulf in southwest Iran, he initially studied law there. When he later applied to study law at Goethe University Frankfurt - and was accepted there - he had no idea that he would end up following his true passion, art.

Ayoubzadeh has been studying Art History and Aesthetics in Kassel since 2022. "For me, art is much more than just a subject; it allows me to reflect on and question processes of social change. I am particularly interested in understanding the complexity of a work of art and how it influences our environment," explains the student. He is inspired by the combination of art history and modern art studies, which offers him ideal study conditions: "Kassel is not only known for the world-renowned documenta art exhibition, but also for the collections of the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Wilhelmshöhe Palace," says Ayoubzadeh.

Ayoubzadeh wants to combine theory and practice. This includes museum visits, excursions and academic study of specialist literature. "We went on a study trip to Italy in 2025. I did research for my seminar paper at the Institute of Art History in Florence and at the same time looked at the original works in the museum. At the end, we presented the results of our project at Casa Zuccari. That was great," reports the budding art historian.

Ayoubzadeh repeatedly emphasizes how important practical relevance is in his studies: "Just as chemistry students go to the lab to work, we art students have to go to the museum to analyze works. Or learn in a restoration workshop how exhibits are examined, conserved, reconstructed and how colors on paintings change over time," explains the student.

Pejman Ayoubzadeh is currently researching the history of the Kunstakademie Kassel in the 20th century under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hemken. As part of the project, he is researching the Irish artist Cecil Salkeld (1904-1969), who studied at the academy from 1920 to 1924. "I am very motivated to shed light on the history of today's art academy," says Ayoubzadeh.

Ayoubzadeh also speaks openly about the challenges of his studies: "I'm always working on perfecting my German. I notice progress day by day and my goal is to reach the level of my mother tongue," says the student. Another challenge is maintaining a balance between studying and the necessary paid work: "I work around 80 hours a month because I have to earn my own living. This is quite demanding and requires self-discipline, for example to meet study deadlines," adds Ayoubzadeh.

Pejman Ayoubzadeh has a wide range of interests and skills, from art production to management experience. He founded an online bookshop in Iran at the age of 18, combining his enthusiasm for literature with independent work. He now runs the bookshop together with his brother. He already has concrete plans for the time after his Bachelor's degree: he would like to start a Master's degree at the Kunsthochschule Kassel in the winter semester of 2026/2027 with a focus on art history. "I see my professional future in the areas of research and teaching. I would also like to gain experience in a museum context," emphasizes Ayoubzadeh.

Finally, Ayoubzadeh talks about museums as spaces for reflective and critical debate. According to Nora Sternfeld, Professor of Art Education at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HFBK), museums are more than just presentation spaces and should be used to make different perspectives - especially marginalized ones - visible and enable open discussions. Ayoubzadeh agrees: "I think it is very important to scrutinize museums in order to understand why certain works of art are exhibited and what historical backgrounds are associated with them."

(Text in German: Çiğdem Özdemir)