Art, Freedom and Protection - Conversation with Artists at Risk and Barış Seyitvan
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| free admission |
| Mechanical Arena in the Foyer |
| Part of: SPÄTI |
This evening we present a conversation with Kurdish artist and curator Barış Seyitvan and the founders of Artists at Risk, Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky. Music by DJ Alissa Zaddi.
Many artists today cannot safely work in their home countries. Artists at Risk (AR) is an international organisation that supports artists whose freedom, safety, or lives are under threat by offering residencies in host countries, including Germany.
Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky speak with former AR resident Barış Seyitvan, an independent Kurdish artist and curator from Diyarbakır. His exhibitions explore history, ecology, geography and politics, alongside themes central to the Kurdish experience such as language, exile, gender and displacement.
AR co-founders Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky share insights from over a decade of defending artistic freedom. Since 2013, the initiative has supported more than 1,200 artists and cultural professionals through a global network of over 330 partner institutions.
The conversation reflects on current challenges and successes as well as introduces the organisation’s newer programme Ecologists at Risk.
Participants
Artists at Risk (AR) supports artists whose freedom or lives are under threat. Run by the international NGO Perpetuum Mobile ry, AR operates at the intersection of human rights and the arts.
Since 2013, AR has developed into a global network of artistic institutions, NGOs, municipalities and international organisations that relocate and support artists fleeing persecution, oppression, war or terror.
To date, AR has assisted more than 1,100 artists and cultural professionals at over 330 partner institutions worldwide. Coordinated by its Helsinki-based secretariat, the network provides emergency residencies, funding and advocacy for artists at risk.
AR has supported both emerging and internationally known figures, including members of Pussy Riot, Somali pop star Lil Balil, Vietnamese dissident Mai Khoi and Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy. Through residencies, events and the Artists at Risk Pavilion, AR also presents the work of its residents to international audiences.
Barış Seyitvan is an independent Kurdish artist and curator from Diyarbakır, Turkey, now based in Berlin. For over 20 years he has worked with arts organisations, artists and non-profits, focusing on contemporary art and migration in the Middle East. His practice reflects the transnational realities of the Kurdish diaspora.
His exhibitions address themes such as history, ecology, geography and politics, as well as language, exile, gender and displacement. Seyitvan collaborates with many Middle Eastern artists across the diaspora and organises exhibitions internationally. He was an Artists at Risk (AR) resident in Helsinki and Berlin.
Alissa Zaddi is a Berlin-based underground DJ known for her experimental and genre-blending approach to dance music. Her sound moves across bass-heavy and break-driven styles, bringing together influences from Grime, Baile Funk, Drum & Bass, Jersey Club, Jungle, and Electro into a distinctive and culturally layered sonic language.
Alissa Zaddi has performed internationally in cities such as Berlin, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, and regularly appears on radio platforms.
More: @alissazaddi