What we do
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) defends and advances the right to artistic freedom, providing practical resources and support to artists and cultural workers, so they can live and work safely, free from fear.
Protect
ARC provides direct assistance to at-risk artists and connects them with an international network of organizations and resources.
Advocate
ARC monitors, documents, and advocates for artists targeted for their creative expression, social justice efforts, or human rights work. ARC defends and promotes artistic freedom around the world.
Amplify
ARC raises awareness about the challenges facing artists and cultural workers, and leads global calls for safeguarding the right to artistic freedom through storytelling, campaigns, publications, podcasts, and events.
Where we work
We work wherever artists face danger or repression, collaborating with local and international partners to ensure that no creative voice is silenced, regardless of geography or circumstances.
Africa
Latin America & The Caribbean
Asia & The Pacific
Middle East & North Africa
Europe
North America
Featured news from ARC
Artist
stories
Stories of at-risk artists from all over the world who are committed to protecting their right to freedom of expression and using their art to fight for justice.
Zimbabwe
Daniel Maposa
Nigeria
DJ Switch
Cuba
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
Saudi Arabia
Ms Saffaa
Myanmar, {Burma}
Thiha
United States
Dread Scott
Exhibitions
The Art of Resistance:
Contemporary Art from
Russia & Belarus
Curated by Vera Shengalia
INSTAGRAM FEED
⛓🎨 ARC’s newest digital exhibition is NOW LIVE!
"The Art of Resistance: Contemporary Art from Russia and Belarus", is a stirring testament to the power of creative defiance in the face of authoritarianism.
Presented by ARC to mark the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development this Wednesday and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 @unesco Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, this online exhibition showcases the work of 13 contemporary Russian and Belarusian visual artists who, in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have mobilized to oppose the war and advocate for peace.
What unites every artist featured–through both their artistic work and their corresponding interviews–is their enduring resolve, bravery, and willingness to invoke a more honest, more humane world through the action of creating.
Don’t miss this timely and moving exhibition!
https://artistsatriskconnection.org/exhibition/art-of-resistance-exhibition/
Image credits: Philippenzo, "Hypnosis".
@helenfrankenthalerfoundation @peninternational @penamerica #ArtistsAgainstTheWar #artivism #TheArtofResistence #UNESCO #2005unescoconvention #diversityofculturalexpressions
⛓🎨 ARC’s newest digital exhibition is NOW LIVE!
"The Art of Resistance: Contemporary Art from Russia and Belarus", is a stirring testament to the power of creative defiance in the face of authoritarianism.
Presented by ARC to mark the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development this Wednesday and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 @unesco Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, this online exhibition showcases the work of 13 contemporary Russian and Belarusian visual artists who, in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have mobilized to oppose the war and advocate for peace.
What unites every artist featured–through both their artistic work and their corresponding interviews–is their enduring resolve, bravery, and willingness to invoke a more honest, more humane world through the action of creating.
Don’t miss this timely and moving exhibition!
https://artistsatriskconnection.org/exhibition/art-of-resistance-exhibition/
Image credits: Philippenzo, "Hypnosis".
@helenfrankenthalerfoundation @peninternational @penamerica #ArtistsAgainstTheWar #artivism #TheArtofResistence #UNESCO #2005unescoconvention #diversityofculturalexpressions
🇮🇷 “I, as a female Iranian poet, see myself as a fighter whose weapons are words.” — Mahtab Yaghma (@mahtab.yaghma)
Raised in a city known for producing celebrated poets from ancient Persian tradition to the present day, Mahtab Yaghma shared with ARC the deep admiration and inspiration she took from her classical predecessors. Given her artistic training and upbringing, Mahtab uniquely positions herself at the intersection of tradition and transformation, using her literary prowess to construct complex and refreshing prose on women’s experiences in Iran while harkening back to familiar wisdom and creative traditions.
Due to her art and activism, Mahtab was eventually forced into exile in 2020. Working between the jarring new realities of exile and nostalgia for her home, Mahtab continues to channel her poetry and digital presence to protest injustice and criticize human rights violations by the Iranian government.
ARC stands in solidarity with Mahtab, her artistry, and her fearless fight for women’s rights in Iran. Join us and learn more about her story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/mahtab-yaghma/
🇮🇷 “I, as a female Iranian poet, see myself as a fighter whose weapons are words.” — Mahtab Yaghma (@mahtab.yaghma)
Raised in a city known for producing celebrated poets from ancient Persian tradition to the present day, Mahtab Yaghma shared with ARC the deep admiration and inspiration she took from her classical predecessors. Given her artistic training and upbringing, Mahtab uniquely positions herself at the intersection of tradition and transformation, using her literary prowess to construct complex and refreshing prose on women’s experiences in Iran while harkening back to familiar wisdom and creative traditions.
Due to her art and activism, Mahtab was eventually forced into exile in 2020. Working between the jarring new realities of exile and nostalgia for her home, Mahtab continues to channel her poetry and digital presence to protest injustice and criticize human rights violations by the Iranian government.
ARC stands in solidarity with Mahtab, her artistry, and her fearless fight for women’s rights in Iran. Join us and learn more about her story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/mahtab-yaghma/
Earlier this month, ARC had the pleasure of collaborating as part of PEN America’s (@penamerica) World Voices Festival (@penworldvoices).
From an inspiring mural in co-creation with ArtLords (@artlordsnet) to a screening of Dara Kell (@darakell) and Veena Rao’s documentary series The Art of Exile and a panel discussion with Rania Mamoun (@raniamamoun), Anouar Rahmani (@anouar__rahmani), and Mai Khôi (@mai.khoi), our events uplifted the power of art, calling for solidarity with artists and cultural workers worldwide.
We sincerely thank the World Voices Festival team, our speakers, and attendees for their continued efforts standing up for free expression during such turbulent times. Creativity will prevail!
Photos 1 & 3: Courtesy of ArtLords.
Photos 2 & 4: Courtesy of Beowulf Sheehan (@beowulfsheehan).
Earlier this month, ARC had the pleasure of collaborating as part of PEN America’s (@penamerica) World Voices Festival (@penworldvoices).
From an inspiring mural in co-creation with ArtLords (@artlordsnet) to a screening of Dara Kell (@darakell) and Veena Rao’s documentary series The Art of Exile and a panel discussion with Rania Mamoun (@raniamamoun), Anouar Rahmani (@anouar__rahmani), and Mai Khôi (@mai.khoi), our events uplifted the power of art, calling for solidarity with artists and cultural workers worldwide.
We sincerely thank the World Voices Festival team, our speakers, and attendees for their continued efforts standing up for free expression during such turbulent times. Creativity will prevail!
Photos 1 & 3: Courtesy of ArtLords.
Photos 2 & 4: Courtesy of Beowulf Sheehan (@beowulfsheehan).
🎶🇳🇮 | The new song “Trayectoria con memoria,” by Ludwing Gómez (@ludgomezs), is out now!
Over three years after entering exile, the Nicaraguan singer-songwriter’s new track explores loss, memory, and hope for a freer future. Profiled by ARC in 2023, Ludwing’s story is one of daring artistry, activism, and courage in the face of immense strife, both in Nicaragua and now in exile.
In conversation with ARC, Ludwing shared, “My plan for the future [is] to journey and live with my songs in the world. To bring my message and speak to who I am, of what I was in Nicaragua, what it gave me because thanks to NicaraguaI am here…I am Nicaragua. When I miss Nicaragua, I think I am Nicaragua.”
🎧 Listen to and share “Trayectoria con memoria”: https://open.spotify.com/track/7vl8WMPjwOBPIjMtorDLmj?si=_qlOC_hESJmfcYPsnlv5yg
📖 For more on Ludwing: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/ludwing-gomez/
@berenice.jmu @leo_canalesv @fcalvof @javi_u1 @anyul_tocaeltambo @javieralvaradovargas @arboledarecordscr @cce_costarica @copalcolectivo @acnur @asidehu_org @cce_costarica
🎶🇳🇮 | The new song “Trayectoria con memoria,” by Ludwing Gómez (@ludgomezs), is out now!
Over three years after entering exile, the Nicaraguan singer-songwriter’s new track explores loss, memory, and hope for a freer future. Profiled by ARC in 2023, Ludwing’s story is one of daring artistry, activism, and courage in the face of immense strife, both in Nicaragua and now in exile.
In conversation with ARC, Ludwing shared, “My plan for the future [is] to journey and live with my songs in the world. To bring my message and speak to who I am, of what I was in Nicaragua, what it gave me because thanks to NicaraguaI am here…I am Nicaragua. When I miss Nicaragua, I think I am Nicaragua.”
🎧 Listen to and share “Trayectoria con memoria”: https://open.spotify.com/track/7vl8WMPjwOBPIjMtorDLmj?si=_qlOC_hESJmfcYPsnlv5yg
📖 For more on Ludwing: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/ludwing-gomez/
@berenice.jmu @leo_canalesv @fcalvof @javi_u1 @anyul_tocaeltambo @javieralvaradovargas @arboledarecordscr @cce_costarica @copalcolectivo @acnur @asidehu_org @cce_costarica
🇸🇦 | ARC and over a dozen other human rights and other civil society organizations, join the latest statement led by the Committee to Protect Journalists (@committeetoprotectjournalists) calling on Saudi authorities to immediately release all detained journalists and writers, lift arbitrary travel bans, end legal and digital attacks, and uphold press freedom in the country
The statement comes more than seven years after the brutal assassination of Washington Post (@washingtonpost) columnist Jamal Khashoggi and on the eve of the U.S. president’s first international visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is among the worst countries for journalists, with CPJ’s latest annual prison census noting at least 10 journalists behind bars. Dissidents of the government, in and outside the kingdom, have also faced significant attacks and surveillance, highlighting the need for Congress and the U.S. administration to enact legislation that protects U.S.-based journalists, Saudi, American, or otherwise, from transnational repression.
In particular, the call highlights the case of cartoonist Mohammed Al Ghamdi, pen name Al Hazza, who was imprisoned for cartoons perceived as sympathetic to Qatar and insulting the Saudi government. Ghamdi was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to six years and a travel ban. Yet, on an undisclosed date in 2024, his sentence was extended by 16 years without the option to appeal.
For the full statement and to learn more about challenges to artistic freedom in Saudi Arabia: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/statement/joint-statement-on-saudi-repression-of-journalists/
@accessnow @alqst_org @cartooningforpeace @dawnmenaorg @freedomcartoonists @gc4hr @humenaorg @ldsf.watch @penamerica @redwordca @rsfinternational @smexorg
🇸🇦 | ARC and over a dozen other human rights and other civil society organizations, join the latest statement led by the Committee to Protect Journalists (@committeetoprotectjournalists) calling on Saudi authorities to immediately release all detained journalists and writers, lift arbitrary travel bans, end legal and digital attacks, and uphold press freedom in the country
The statement comes more than seven years after the brutal assassination of Washington Post (@washingtonpost) columnist Jamal Khashoggi and on the eve of the U.S. president’s first international visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is among the worst countries for journalists, with CPJ’s latest annual prison census noting at least 10 journalists behind bars. Dissidents of the government, in and outside the kingdom, have also faced significant attacks and surveillance, highlighting the need for Congress and the U.S. administration to enact legislation that protects U.S.-based journalists, Saudi, American, or otherwise, from transnational repression.
In particular, the call highlights the case of cartoonist Mohammed Al Ghamdi, pen name Al Hazza, who was imprisoned for cartoons perceived as sympathetic to Qatar and insulting the Saudi government. Ghamdi was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to six years and a travel ban. Yet, on an undisclosed date in 2024, his sentence was extended by 16 years without the option to appeal.
For the full statement and to learn more about challenges to artistic freedom in Saudi Arabia: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/statement/joint-statement-on-saudi-repression-of-journalists/
@accessnow @alqst_org @cartooningforpeace @dawnmenaorg @freedomcartoonists @gc4hr @humenaorg @ldsf.watch @penamerica @redwordca @rsfinternational @smexorg
🌐 ARC was thrilled to participate in the Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 in Riga, Latvia, hosted by On the Move (@otm.network)!
Co-hosted by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (@ndpculture), in partnership with VSIA Rīgas cirks (@rigas_cirks) and HowlRound Theatre Commons (@howlround), and co-funded by the European Union, the forum sparked vital reflections on international mobility and the challenges faced by young and emerging art workers.
From arts education and cultural management practices to the shifting dynamics of the arts ecosystem, speakers’ powerful insights highlighted key barriers emerging creatives face, proposing innovative solutions to spur a more mobile and inclusive future.
📸 Photo credit: Lauris Vīksne (@lauris_viksne)
🌐 ARC was thrilled to participate in the Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 in Riga, Latvia, hosted by On the Move (@otm.network)!
Co-hosted by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (@ndpculture), in partnership with VSIA Rīgas cirks (@rigas_cirks) and HowlRound Theatre Commons (@howlround), and co-funded by the European Union, the forum sparked vital reflections on international mobility and the challenges faced by young and emerging art workers.
From arts education and cultural management practices to the shifting dynamics of the arts ecosystem, speakers’ powerful insights highlighted key barriers emerging creatives face, proposing innovative solutions to spur a more mobile and inclusive future.
📸 Photo credit: Lauris Vīksne (@lauris_viksne)
This Saturday, 10 May, at 6 PM in the Mahara+Co (@mahara_and_co) gallery in Miami, don’t miss out on the opening of “No Place is Far Away.” a solo exhibition by photographer Evelyn Sosa (@evelyn._.sosa)!
The showing, supported by ARC and PEN International’s (@peninternational) Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship, documents a part of Cuba uprooted, exiled, and marginalized in the United States.
Through people, objects, and spaces, the intimate photo series explores not only what its subjects have lost but what unites and brings them hope. In capturing memory as a central axis of every individual’s will to survive in exile, Evelyn’s daring creative oeuvre inspires and illustrates the power of remembering as an act of solidarity and resistance in times of strife and erasure.
Please join us in celebrating Evelyn’s achievement and spread the word among your networks. We hope to see you there!
To learn more about the exhibition: https://mahara-co.com/no-place-is-far-away/
📸 credits: A few examples of the stunning images included in the exhibition! Courtesy of Evelyn Sosa.
This Saturday, 10 May, at 6 PM in the Mahara+Co (@mahara_and_co) gallery in Miami, don’t miss out on the opening of “No Place is Far Away.” a solo exhibition by photographer Evelyn Sosa (@evelyn._.sosa)!
The showing, supported by ARC and PEN International’s (@peninternational) Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship, documents a part of Cuba uprooted, exiled, and marginalized in the United States.
Through people, objects, and spaces, the intimate photo series explores not only what its subjects have lost but what unites and brings them hope. In capturing memory as a central axis of every individual’s will to survive in exile, Evelyn’s daring creative oeuvre inspires and illustrates the power of remembering as an act of solidarity and resistance in times of strife and erasure.
Please join us in celebrating Evelyn’s achievement and spread the word among your networks. We hope to see you there!
To learn more about the exhibition: https://mahara-co.com/no-place-is-far-away/
📸 credits: A few examples of the stunning images included in the exhibition! Courtesy of Evelyn Sosa.
ARC celebrates this year’s winners of the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent, presented by the Human Rights Foundation (@hrf) and the Oslo Freedom Forum (@osloff).
🎨 Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (@luismanuel.oteroalcantara), a Cuban multidisciplinary artist, is a leading and visionary voice in the island’s independent art scene. He is prominently highlighted in ARC, PEN International (@peninternational), and Civil Rights Defenders’ (@crdefenders) Voces Presas campaign. Currently imprisoned for his evocative artworks and fearless creative expression, ARC renews our calls for his immediate release. Watch our spotlight on Luis Manuel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIh02hQLWiI
🎶 Sasha Skochilenko (@skochilenko), a Russian musician, poet, and former political prisoner, has been a guiding light in the anti-war movement, championing peace and greater freedoms. After being imprisoned for her creative expression and activism, she was released and forced into exile through a prisoner exchange. She continues her creative excellence across Europe, tirelessly advocating for human rights and the power of art to spur positive change.
🖌️ Azza Abo Rebieh (@azza.abo.rebieh), a Syrian artist and activist, has long used art as a force for social change. Whether through graffiti, puppetry, or other mediums, her work builds community and amplifies the struggle for human rights. Following her imprisonment after the Syrian Revolution, ARC and PEN America (@penamerica) called for her release and later co-organized an event in New York in solidarity with her.
Each laureate inspires us through their daring artistry, resilience in the face of repression, and unshakable commitment to justice. Their stories inspire us all to continue fighting for artistic freedom and more just futures.
To learn more: https://oslofreedomforum.com/havel-prize/
Visuals credit: Oslo Freedom Forum (@osloff)
#artisticfreedom #humanrights #oslofreedomforum
ARC celebrates this year’s winners of the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent, presented by the Human Rights Foundation (@hrf) and the Oslo Freedom Forum (@osloff).
🎨 Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (@luismanuel.oteroalcantara), a Cuban multidisciplinary artist, is a leading and visionary voice in the island’s independent art scene. He is prominently highlighted in ARC, PEN International (@peninternational), and Civil Rights Defenders’ (@crdefenders) Voces Presas campaign. Currently imprisoned for his evocative artworks and fearless creative expression, ARC renews our calls for his immediate release. Watch our spotlight on Luis Manuel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIh02hQLWiI
🎶 Sasha Skochilenko (@skochilenko), a Russian musician, poet, and former political prisoner, has been a guiding light in the anti-war movement, championing peace and greater freedoms. After being imprisoned for her creative expression and activism, she was released and forced into exile through a prisoner exchange. She continues her creative excellence across Europe, tirelessly advocating for human rights and the power of art to spur positive change.
🖌️ Azza Abo Rebieh (@azza.abo.rebieh), a Syrian artist and activist, has long used art as a force for social change. Whether through graffiti, puppetry, or other mediums, her work builds community and amplifies the struggle for human rights. Following her imprisonment after the Syrian Revolution, ARC and PEN America (@penamerica) called for her release and later co-organized an event in New York in solidarity with her.
Each laureate inspires us through their daring artistry, resilience in the face of repression, and unshakable commitment to justice. Their stories inspire us all to continue fighting for artistic freedom and more just futures.
To learn more: https://oslofreedomforum.com/havel-prize/
Visuals credit: Oslo Freedom Forum (@osloff)
#artisticfreedom #humanrights #oslofreedomforum
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