Assisting Artists whose Freedom and Lives are at Risk
Perpetuum Mobile ry (PM), which runs ARTISTS at RISK (AR), is a non-profit organisation active at the intersection of human rights and the arts (501c-3 equivalency). Since 2013, PM has developed AR to become a mondial network of artistic institutions, non-profits, municipalities, state institutions and international organisations to assist, relocate and fund artists who are at risk of persecution or oppression, or are fleeing war or terror. Prior to the war in Ukraine, AR hosted artists in 26 locations in 19 countries globally. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, approximately 570 hosting institutions have signed up to AR across Europe in order to relocate and support almost 2100 applicants from Ukraine. Parallel to this, almost 600 dissident artists and cultural workers from Russia and Belarus, at risk of persecution, imprisonment or worse, have applied for support. The “list of lists” of over 1360 Afghan artists at risk also remains a high priority. Artists and hosts have registered directly via our forms found on our front page. Applications have also reached us via the important partnerships AR has formed with UNESCO, Goethe Institute, the Swedish SWAN network and other national and regional residency networks.
During its almost 10 years of activity, Artists at Risk (AR) has assisted persecuted, threatened or imprisoned artists of all kinds, both unknown and of worldwide renown. Among the prominent figures AR has assisted, one might mention the founders of Pussy Riot, Maria Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova, the Somali pop-star Lil Balil, the Vietnamese dissident Mai Khoi or the Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy.
AR is dedicated to supporting persecuted art practitioners, facilitating their safe passage from their countries of origin, hosting them at AR-Residences and curating related projects, including the AR Pavilion.
Artists, writers, curators, critics and scholars are often targets of politically motivated threats and persecution all over the world. Perpetuum Mobile (PM) initiated Artists at Risk (AR) as a platform and network to support these art practitioners in times of need. This encompasses enabling their safe exit from their country of origin, procuring travel documents, providing legal assistance and matching them with AR-Residences.
In coordination with partners and other networks, we are building a horizontal network of AR-Safe Havens around the world to act as a global advocate for art practitioners at risk. Since 2013, the AR network has grown to over 26 AR-Residences across 19 countries – from Finland, Germany and Spain to Tunisia and the Ivory Coast. These residencies offer temporary relocation for artists facing persecution or imprisonment for exercising their right to freedom of expression. The programme has assisted artists from Afghanistan, Egypt, Kenya, Syria, Vietnam, Kenya and Turkey among other countries.
Artists at Risk (AR)’s umbrella organisation, Perpetuum Mobile (PM), also curates events, conferences and the dedicated “AR Pavilion”, which showcases the artistic practices of AR-Residents.
In 2016, Artists at Risk (AR) and Perpetuum Mobile were honoured by the European Parliament with the CIVI EUROPAEO PRAEMIUM (the European Citizens’ Prize). Artists at Risk (AR) was also awarded the Thematic State Prize of Taike, Finland in 2017 and was featured on the first SUBSTANCE 100 list in 2020. Artists at Risk (AR) received the key State Prize of Finland in 2021 and was awarded the Arts and Culture Champion Action of the Year 2022 by the Trade Union for Art and Culture Professionals (TAKU). In 2022, Artists at Risk (AR) won the highest State Prize of Finland, marking a 10th anniversary with the inauguration of the new category of Social Impact.
One of our Artists at Risk (AR)-Residences, Safe Haven Helsinki, won the Annual Art Act Award in 2016.
Artists at Risk (AR) was co-founded by Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky (in alternating order) of Perpetuum Mobile (PM).
Artists at Risk (AR)’s work is supported by an International Advisory Council presently made up of Maria Alyokhina (Pussy Riot), Helge Lunde (Executive Director, ICORN) and Ehsan Fardjadniya (Artist and Activist).
TEAM (for security reasons, not all staff is named)
Co-Founders and Directors
Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen (in alternating order)
Artists at Risk (AR) Secretariat
Contact: [email protected]
Secretariat
Akram Ati, AR-Afghanistan Solidarity Team
Vita Bazan, Matchmaking Curator, AR-Ukraine Solidarity Team
Danson Kahyana, Africa, Anglophone Region
Natalya Kravchuk, Matchmaking Curator, multiple AR-Solidarity Teams
Ahmed Mourad Khanfir, MENA Region and AR-Tunis Residency
Chinara Maijidova, Matchmaking Curator, multiple AR-Solidarity Teams
Aino Puhto, Intern, Residency Assistant, IT and all-rounder
Tinja Ronkonen, Intern, Residency Assistant
Lena Shulga, Matchmaking Curator, AR-Ukraine Solidarity Team
Nadja Zdravkova, Matchmaking Curator, multiple AR-Solidarity Teams
Affiliated Curators
Ângela Berlinde
Power Ekroth, Matchmaking Curator, SWAN Sweden
Teresa Retzer
Hanna Vogel
External
Kaarina Forsblom, Accountant (F-Tiili oy, chartered accountants)
AR web template by: Ciaran Gaffey with IS
AR logo design: IS with Tzortzis Rallis
Pro-bono secure web-hosting
Imprint:
Artists at Risk (AR) is an initiative of Perpetuum Mobile ry
Perpetuum Mobile ry is a non-profit association registered in Finland
Association ID: 2511712-5
Address: Nordenskiöldinkatu 5 C 69
Co-Directors: Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky (in alternating order)
Board members: Sari Paronen (Chairperson), Ray Langenbach (Vice-Chairperson), Adriano Galante (Treasurer)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: on request
Subscribe to the AR Newsletter
Follow us on social media.
Or send us an email: [email protected]
For press inquiries: [email protected]
To apply for a residency
or if you wish to become a hosting organisation
click here.
