Over the past two years, the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan has placed countless lives in peril, particularly those of female artists. Disturbingly, recent weeks have witnessed a surge in raids on Afghan artists’ homes and studios, resulting in the confiscation, destruction and burning of their musical instruments. Hundreds of Afghan artists are still struggling to flee the country, fearing for their safety and to be able to continue their practice.
Recognising the significance of art and culture, the Deutscher Kulturrat has achieved the inclusion of cultural actors within the eligibility criteria for admissions under the revised Federal Admissions Law (Bundesaufnahmegesetz).
At the same time, the Bundesaufnahmeprogramme (BAP) für Afghanistan of the German government has created an enormous amount of bureaucracy for NGOs – who contribute their time and resources without compensation from the BAP. The frustration was palpable in a recent hearing with Richard Bennett, the UN Rapporteur for Afghanistan, prior to his meetings with German ministries. Absolutely zero Afghans have been given entry to Germany in the 9 months since the BAP was started. (See also the #realitycheck campaign with Kabul Luftbruecke).
At the start of 2023, the Deutscher Künstlerbund, the Internationales Künstlergremium, BBK-Bundesverband and GEDOK initiated a fundraising campaign for the work of Artists at Risk (AR) with Afghan artists and cultural professionals.
We are pleased that this important initiative has been restarted by these excellent partners. So far, over 6,000 Euros were donated to this cause. It is significant, but we should note that it is actually not much more than the cost of the travel documents, travel and a single 3-month AR-Residency in Germany.
We very much welcome new contributions! Bank transfers can go directly to Artists at Risk (AR) at the following account:
Perpetuum Mobile ry: AR
IBAN: FI35 5723 0220 7720 60
BIC: OKOYFIHH
Keyword: Afghanistan
Donations can also be made via Paypal, Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, and more via our website: https://artistsatrisk.org/donations
Since the takeover by the Taliban in August 2021, Artists at Risk (AR) has been at the forefront of advocating for the safe evacuation of artists and cultural workers from Afghanistan. Your donation will help ensure that we can continue carrying out this essential work.
Featured artwork by Afghan artist Mahdi Hafizi, an Artists at Risk (AR) Resident in Cologne, Germany.
