The Crespo Foundation has been the first and (so far) only donor to provide funds specifically for Afghan artists. Although other funds have contributed to our work for Afghans in the region, Crespo Foundation has been, for two years, the only source of funds to give Afghan artists the rest and respite, artistic context and networking opportunities, of an AR-Residency in Europe, and Germany in particular.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, AR has been at the forefront of advocating for the safe evacuation of artists from Afghanistan.
We have received a small, but slowly growing number of artists. This is mainly due to the painful, and indeed, shameful rate at which the German and other European governments issue Afghans visas — if at all. With our AR-Afghanistan Solidarity Team, we have worked tirelessly for visas for over three years for thousands of applicants, with countless submissions to governments. See our #SaveAfghanArtists campaign.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Crespo Foundation, based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, founded by Ulrike Crespo, which supports artists and arts institutions and conducts projects in art, education, and social affairs.
Donate to support more artists at risk: https://artistsatrisk.org/donations
