Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists

June 7 & 8

New York

Art at a Time Like This (ATLT) with Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) presenr the Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists summit. With engaging interdisciplinary discussions, keynote speeches, and artistic interventions, the summit underscores the global censorship artists face, while promoting unity and resilience within the creative community to uphold artistic freedom and defend human rights. 

Over the past few years, ARC and ATLT have observed a dramatic increase in artistic censorship, ranging from book bans and anti-drag legislation in the U.S. to unjust laws worldwide that threaten artists and seek to erase rich cultures. Amid the deplorable and continued devastation aimed at the civilian population coupled with the immense destruction of art and cultural heritage in Gaza, and critical elections in at least 64 countries this year, this series featured an interdisciplinary assembly of discussions that encapsulate the landscape of an artistic revolution. Discussions have underscored the vital role of artists and cultural professionals as human rights defenders, and signaled the distinct challenges creatives face due to their artivism.

Please note: The Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists was a series consisted of three days of inspiring programming. To learn more about our previous events on May 10, consult this page.

Challenges Facing Artists in Authoritarian Regimes

The artistic freedom summit will start off with a Keynote by renowned artist Shirin Neshat as she explores the pressing challenges facing artists in authoritarian regimes. Drawing on her extensive experience as an artist and activist, Neshat will highlight the unique difficulties faced by creatives operating in oppressive political environments.

Neshat will delve into the complexities of censorship, persecution, and repression faced by artists around the world, offering first-hand perspectives on how to navigate these daunting obstacles. Through compelling anecdotes and thought-provoking analysis, she will examine the profound impact of authoritarianism on artistic expression, as well as the resilience and resistance shown by artists in the face of adversity.

— Shirin Neshat, Photographer and visual artist

Artists at the Forefront of Social Movements

“Patria y Vida” became the anthem for the historic mass protests in Cuba on July 11, 2021. Murals on the streets of Kabul raised awareness of the complex issues of daily life. Amidst a military coup, illustrations documented the political turmoil in Myanmar. Art is the most accessible and powerful way to galvanize citizens. Because of this, artists play a pivotal role in catalyzing social change around the world. 

Our distinguished speakers will examine how artists engage with social movements, discuss the risks they confront, and the profound impact of their own work on broader societal shifts.

  • Samia Halaby, Palestinian-American visual artist, activist, educator, and scholar

Performance

Henry Ohanga, commonly referred to by his stage name Octopizzo is an award winning, recording and performing artist, activist and entrepreneur. Born in the sprawling slums of Kibera, Nairobi (considered one of the largest slums in the world), his passion in music helped him move past his situation.

Octopizzo, with his head-bopping beats and energizing lyrics, will give a short performance on Friday night.

— Octopizzo (Henry Ohanga), Musician

Resiliency in Exile

The power of art is not lost among authoritarian governments that repress and harass artists, often forcing them to migrate outside of the country. How do artists remain resilient in exile? How do they continue to create as part of the diaspora community? In conversation with creatives who live outside of their home country, how do they continue the momentum required to sustain a social movement?

Despite the great risks, Rania Mamoun (Sudan) and Mai Khoi (Vietnam) remained steadfast in their commitment to justice and continue to do so to this day. The two artists will speak on creative dissent, the responsibility artists have to stand by social movements with their fellow citizens, and the ways in which they sustain their artivism outside of the country. 

  • Rania Mamoun, Sudanese activist, writer, and novelist

  • Mai Khôi, Vietnamese singer, artist, and activist

  • Dinaw Mengestu, Novelist and journalist (Moderator)

As the 2024 United States election draws near, Nikole Hannah Jones, founder of the 1619 Project, and Aruna D'Souza, author of Whitewalling: Art, Race, and Protest in 3 Acts, will discuss the overt role that censorship plays in the political and social realm. This conversation will delve into the current trend of censorship in the United States and how it intersects with race, gender, and sexuality.

In recent years, the trend has been made visible in the form of book bans, “educational gag orders'' spearheaded by right-wing politicians, and exhibition cancellations across the country.

  • Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine

  • Aruna D'Souza, Editor, writer, and curator

Here and Now: Censorship as a Political Tool in the United States

Global Censorship: What It Looks Like, Who Does It, How to Combat It

Artists and cultural workers have been facing an unprecedented rise in repression, harassment, and persecution by State and non-State actors in recent years. But how does artistic censorship manifest itself in Cuba? Kenya? Afghanistan? In the Occupied Palestinian Territories? 

The panelists, diverse in discipline and origin, will explore the reality of artistic censorship, specifically delving into how it has affected their livelihoods, security, and safety. The panel will conclude with the artists’ insights on how to counter artistic censorship and to continue creating within a global movement of artists fighting for social change.

  • Coco Fusco, Cuban-American interdisciplinary artist, writer, and curator

  • Khaled Jarrar, Palestinian multidisciplinary artist

  • Omaid Sharifi, Afghan visual artist and co-founder of ArtLords

  • Octopizzo (Henry Ohanga), award winning, recording and performing artist, humanitarian and a budding entrepreneur

  • Mari Spirito, Executive Director of Protocinema (moderator)

Is Censorship Discriminatory?

Gender violence and social prejudice remain prevalent as global, intersectional movements demand accountability, justice, and equality. The artists on this panel advocate for the rights, agency, and representations of female and LGBTQIA+ communities by blending their art with their activism. In a conversation with female, nonbinary, and trans-identifying artivists, the panelists will share how they resist and challenge patriarchal norms of expression to advance alternative identities and concepts that make the world a safer and more equitable place for all. 

Join a distinguished group of artists from around the world as they examine how censorship disproportionately affects marginalized communities, stifles dissent, and perpetuates power imbalances within society. Furthermore, the discussion will explore the role of art as a tool for challenging and dismantling discriminatory practices while fostering inclusive narratives.

Performance | Mai Khôi

At the height of her pop stardom in Vietnam, Mai Khoi spoke out against government oppression and was forced into exile. In her songs, she bears witness to her political, artistic, and personal transformations.

Speakers (List in order of appearance)

Shirin Neshat

Shirin Neshat (b. 1957, Qazvin) is one of the most famous artists in the world and a leading advocate for advocate for Human Rights. Neshat is an Iranian artist and filmmaker based in New York City whose artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and the West, femininity and masculinity, public life and private life, antiquity and modernity, and bridging the spaces between these subjects.

Since the Islamic Revolution, she has said that she has "gravitated toward making art that is concerned with tyranny, dictatorship, oppression and political injustice.  

Neshat has been recognized for winning the International Award of the XLVIII Venice Biennale in 1999, and the Silver Lion as the best director at the 66th Venice Film Festival in 2009. Her work has been shown in many major museums and film festivals around the world.

Samia Halaby

Samia Halaby, a trailblazer in contemporary abstract art, has been celebrated internationally for nearly 60 years. Her renowned paintings, inspired by nature and historical movements like early Islamic architecture and the Soviet avant-garde, have been collected by major museums since the 1970s. Displaced from Palestine in 1948, Halaby grew up in the American Midwest during the height of abstract expressionism, a time when female abstract painters were often marginalized. She believes innovative painting can transform perspectives in aesthetics, education, technology, and society, leading her to experiment in drawing, printmaking, computer-based kinetic art, and free-from-the-stretcher painting. Halaby’s work is exhibited globally and housed in collections such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Institut du Monde Arabe. Represented by Ayyam Gallery, her influence has grown in both Arab and Western art scenes, blending Islamic geometry with modern painting and highlighting non-Western contributions to modernism. Besides her artistic career, Halaby is an acclaimed thinker, educator, and activist. Her writings on art history, pedagogy, and aesthetics have been widely published. Her 2002 survey, Liberation Art of Palestine, is a key text in Palestinian art history. She recently published two books: Drawing the Kafr Qasem Massacre and Growing Shapes: Aesthetic Insights of an Abstract Painter. As an educator, she introduced a groundbreaking studio art program in the Midwest and was the first full-time female associate professor at the Yale School of Art. Since the 1970s, Halaby has been an advocate for class, race, and Palestinian causes.In her downtime, Halaby retreats to her TriBeCa studio, enjoying solitude or dining at her favorite Thai restaurant. She also engages with a growing Instagram following.

Dread Scott

Dread Scott (b. 1965, Chicago, IL) is an interdisciplinary artist who for three decades has made work that encourages viewers to re-examine the cohering ideals of American society. His art has been exhibited at MoMA PS1, The Walker Art Center, Brooklyn Museum, CAM St. Louis, Whitney Museum of American Art, African American Museum, Bruce Museum, CAM Houston, Worcester Art Museum, Pratt Munson, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Copenhagen Contemporary, and Kunsthal KAdE, among others. It is included in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery, New Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum, Ackland Art Museum, Pratt Munson, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Akron Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and Worcester Art Museum.

Scott was recently awarded the prestigious Abigail Cohen Rome Prize at the American Academy in Rome, and previously received the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, Frieze Impact Prize, Purchase Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Open Society Foundations Soros Equality Fellowship, United States Artists Fellowship, and Creative Capital Foundation Grant. His studio is in Brooklyn, New York and he is represented by Cristin Tierney Gallery.

Mai Khôi

Mai Khôi, an acclaimed singer, composer, and activist, rose to fame in 2010 as one of Vietnam's first female songwriters, winning prestigious awards. Disillusioned with government censorship, she entered politics, sparking national debate and meeting with Barack Obama in 2016. Despite facing hardships including concert raids and police detention, Mai Khôi remains dedicated to activism. In 2016, she founded Mai Khôi Chém Gió, blending protest music with traditional Vietnamese melodies. She later joined Seaphony, uniting Southeast Asian ethnic minority musicians. Leading Mai Khôi and the Dissidents, she explores avant-garde jazz and eclectic themes, including protest anthems.

Mai Khôi is developing "Bad Activist," a multimedia production advocating democracy. Since 2019, she's resided in the USA, receiving recognition as a resident artist and earning prestigious awards like the 2018 Václav Havel Prize and the 2022 Four Freedoms Award.

Rania Mamoun

Rania Mamoun is a Sudanese activist and bestselling writer of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. She completed Something Evergreen Called Life, a poetry manuscript written during COVID-19 quarantine, translated into English by Yasmine Seale and published by Action Books in March 2023. Rania has published two novels to great international acclaim, Green Flash and Son of the Sun, and Thirteen Months of Sunrise, a short story collection shortlisted for the 2020 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. In January 2024, she published her second book since she came to the US, A Woman Alone under the Neem Tree in Arabic by Elmosawarat Publishing. Rania continues to organize for democracy in Sudan.

Dinaw Mengestu

Dinaw Mengestu is the award-winning author of two previous novels, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (2007) and How to Read the Air (2010). He is a graduate of Georgetown University and of Columbia University’s MFA program in fiction and the recipient of a 5 Under 35 award from the National Book Foundation and a 20 Under 40 award from The New Yorker. His journalism and fiction have appeared in publications such as Harper’s Magazine, Granta, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. He is a recipient of a 2012 MacArthur “Genius Grant” and currently lives in New York City.

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. The book version of The 1619 Project as well as the 1619 Project children's book, Born on the Water, were instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her 1619 Project is now a six-part docuseries on Hulu and won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times. She also serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Hannah-Jones is also the co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of investigative reporters and editors of color, and in 2022 she opened the 1619 Freedom School, a free, afterschool literacy program in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Hannah-Jones holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Aruna D’Souza

Aruna D'Souza writes about modern and contemporary art; intersectional feminisms and other forms of politics; and how museums shape our views of each other and the world. Her work appears regularly in 4Columns.org, where she is a member of the editorial advisory board, and she is a contributor to The New York Times. Her writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Art News, Garage, Bookforum, Frieze, Momus, Art in America, and Art Practical, among other places, as well as in numerous artist’s monographs and museum exhibition catalogues. Her book, Whitewalling: Art, Race, and Protest in 3 Acts (Badlands Unlimited), was named one of the best art books of 2018 by the New York Times. Recent editorial project include Linda Nochlin’s Making It Modern: Essays on the Art of the Now (Thames & Hudson, 2022) and Lorraine O’Grady’s Writing in Space 1973-2018 (Duke University Press, 2020); she co-curated the retrospective of O’Grady’s work, Both/And, that opened in March 2021 at the Brooklyn Museum. She is the recipient of the 2021 Rabkin Prize for art journalism and a 2019 Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant, and delivered the Distinguished Critics Lecture for AICA (the International Association of Art Critics) in 2019. She was appointed the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor at the National Gallery of Art in 2022, and the W.W. Corcoran Professor of Social Engagement at the Corcoran School of Art, George Washington University, in 2022-2023.

Coco Fusco

Coco Fusco is an interdisciplinary artist and writer. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, Latinx Art Award, a Fulbright fellowship and a Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Her works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Walker Art Center, the Centre Pompidou, the Imperial War Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona. She is the author of four books and a Professor of Art at Cooper Union. Tomorrow I Will Become an Island, a solo retrospective of Fusco’s opened at Berlin’s KW Institute of Contemporary Art in 2023 and is currently touring.

Khaled Jarrar

Khaled Jarrar was born in Jenin, Occupied Palestine, in 1976. He studied interior design at Palestine Polytechnic University, graduating in 1996. After working as an underground carpenter in Nazareth, he enlisted in military training in 1998, serving as a personal bodyguard for Arafat until 2004 and continuing with the Palestinian Authority’s Presidential Guard for 25 years. Jarrar began his artistic career in photography in 2005, graduated from the International Academy of Art – Palestine in 2011, and earned an MFA from the University of Arizona in 2019, winning the Anni and Heinrich Sussman Award in 2016. As a multidisciplinary artist, Jarrar explores power struggles and their impact on citizens through symbolic photographs, videos, films, and performances. His film "Where We Lost Our Shadows," co-created with composer Du Yun, premiered at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in 2019. His "State of Palestine" project was featured in the 7th Berlin Biennale. Jarrar’s work has been shown at venues like the New Museum (NYC), the University of Applied Arts (Vienna), and the 15th Jakarta Biennale. Jarrar's first feature film, "Infiltrators," won multiple awards at the 2012 Dubai International Film Festival. His second feature, "Notes on Displacement," premiered at the IDFA Envision Competition in 2022 and won the Jury Special Award at the Ismailia Film Festival in 2023. It is set to be included in several upcoming film festivals.

Omaid Sharifi

Omaid Sharifi is a recognized artivist and the esteemed co-founder of ArtLords. His impressive resume includes a fellowship at Harvard University, board positions at CIVICUS and the Atlantic Council’s Millennium Leadership Fellowship Alumni, as well as the prestigious Global Pluralism Award, among other recognitions.

With a career spanning over 19 years, Omaid has consistently demonstrated his expertise in conceptualizing, designing, and executing projects in Afghanistan, South Asia, and various global regions. His extensive grantmaking experience, including managing multi-million dollar projects for organizations like the British Council and USAID, is a testament to his dedication to supporting individual artists.

Octopizzo (Henry Ohanga)

Henry Ohanga , known by his stage name Octopizzo, embodies a multifaceted identity as an acclaimed recording and performing artist, philanthropist, and burgeoning entrepreneur. Hailing from the expansive slums of Kibera, Nairobi – among the world's largest – Octopizzo's fervor for music propelled him beyond his challenging circumstances. With a discography boasting seven albums, Octopizzo's notable work includes "Refugeenius," a collaborative effort with over 20 refugees from Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps. Recognized globally for his commitment to community outreach and youth empowerment, his albums "Lamu Nights" and "Jungle Fever" have garnered Grammy considerations.

Establishing the Octopizzo Foundation in 2016, he amalgamates creativity, art, music, culture, and sports to empower vulnerable youth, liberating them from cycles of desperation and dependency. A recipient of a Social Impact Strategy Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, Oand an Executive certificate in Leadership, Organizing, and Action at Harvard Kennedy University. His initiatives have earned him a platform at TEDx, showcasing his innovative "Refugeenius" program.

Dynamism, energy, and passion define Octopizzo's artistic expression, centered on themes of success and self-belief. Leveraging his influence, he advocates for socioeconomic equality and development, championing the cause of the less privileged with every beat and lyric.

Mari Spirito

Mari Spirito is the Executive Director and Curator of Protocinema, a cross-cultural, site-aware art organization that has been commissioning and presenting exhibitions and public programs in Istanbul and New York since 2011. She launched Protocinema’s Emerging Curator Series mentorship program in 2015. In 2020, Spirito was commissioning curator of Ahmet Öğüt: “No poem loves its poet’, Yarat Contemporary Art Center, Baku, and Theo Triantafyllidis' "Anti-Gone" which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, New Frontier; she curated public talks for Beijing Art Summit, 2019; was faculty for Independent Curators International (ICI) Curatorial Intensive, Bangkok, and guest curator, Alserkal Arts Foundation Public Commission, Dubai, with Hale Tenger, in 2018. From 2013 - 2018, Spirito programed Conversations for both Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach; served as International Advisory Committee Member for the Inaugural High Line Plinth Commissions, New York, 2017; was Curator and Director of Alt Art Space, Bomonti, Istanbul from 2015 to 2017; curated “On the Nature of Justice” exhibition and talk for Onassis Cultural Center, 2017, Advisor to the 2nd Mardin Biennial, Turkey, 2012; and Director of 303 Gallery New York, 2000 - 2012.

Demian DinéYazhi ́ (they/them)

Demian DinéYazhi ́ is a Portland-based Diné transdisciplinary artist, poet, and curator born to the clans Naasht’ézhí Tábąąhá (Zuni Clan Water’s Edge) & Tódích’íí’nii (Bitter Water). Their practice is a regurgitation of purported Decolonial praxis informed by the over accumulative and supremacist nature of hetero cisgender communities. DinéYazhi ́'s praxis interrogates normative spaces by refusing to settle or perform for exploitative galleries and publishers that act as gatekeepers to the lethargic, toxic legacy of Western paradigms. They are a survivor of attempted european genocide, forced assimilation, manipulation, sexual and gender violence, capitalist sabotage, and hypermarginalization in a colonized country that refuses to center its politics and philosophies around the Indigenous Peoples whose Land it occupies and refuses to give back. They live and work in a post-post-apocalyptic world unafraid to fail.

DinéYazhi´ has recently exhibited at Hessel Museum of Art, Honolulu Biennial, Biennale of Sydney, Vielmetter Los Angeles, Wexner Center for the Arts, Whitney Museum of American Art, Henry Art Gallery, Pioneer Works, and CANADA, NY. They are the author of Ancestral Memory, An Infected Sunset, and We Left Them Nothing. DinéYazhi´ will also be exhibiting new work in this year's Whitney Biennial: Even Better Than the Real Thing. @heterogeneoushomosexual

Shahzia Sikander

Shahzia Sikander is widely celebrated for subverting Central and South-Asian miniature painting traditions into dialogue with contemporary international art practices and launching the form known today as neo-miniature. Interrogating ideas of language, trade, empire, and migration through feminist perspectives, Sikander’s paintings, video animations, mosaics, and sculpture explore gender, sexuality, racial narratives, and colonial histories and showcase art of the South Asian diaspora as a contemporary American tradition. Sikander is a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship ‘Genius’ Award, the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation's Pollock Prize for Creativity, among others. Sikander's major new outdoor project, NOW, an 8-foot bronze female sculpture, is currently on the roof of the Appellate Courthouse in Manhattan. An accompanying 18-foot female sculpture, Witness, was exhibited in Madison Square Park in 2023, and has travelled to the University of Houston. The second edition of NOW was acquired by The Newark Museum of Art in 2023. A survey exhibition, Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behaviour, presented by the Cleveland Museum of Art and Cincinnati Art Museum as a Collateral Event of the 60th International Art Exhibition -  La Biennale di Venezia, is on view until October 20th, 2024. 

Photo: Matin

Lorena Wolffer

Lorena Wolffer, born in Mexico City in 1971, is a prominent artist and cultural activist renowned for her extensive contributions both within Mexico and on the international stage. Throughout her career, Wolffer has showcased her work in various mediums, engaging audiences across museums, public spaces, and television platforms. Additionally, she has played a pivotal role in producing, facilitating, and curating numerous projects alongside a diverse array of artists. Wolffer's influence extends beyond her artistic endeavors; she is also recognized for her role as an educator and thought leader. Over the years, she has conducted classes, workshops, and lectures at numerous art spaces, museums, universities, and institutions. Her writings have been featured in esteemed publications such as magazines, newspapers, and books, further cementing her status as a leading voice in the cultural sphere. Currently, Wolffer serves as the coordinator for DISIDENTA: Comunidad de práctica social + saberes feministas alongside Cerrucha and María Laura Rosa. Her extensive professional background includes roles such as member of the Parlamento de Mujeres de la Ciudad de México, Coordinator for Social Practice and Interventions at the Laboratorio Nacional Diversidades (UNAM-CONACyT), and Academic Coordinator of Arte, cultura y justicia for the Programa Universitario de Estudios de Género. Wolffer has received prestigious accolades, including the Hermila Galindo Medal, the Artraker Award for Social Impact, and the Omecihuatl Medal, among others.

Jasmine Wahi

Jasmine Wahi is a leading figure in the contemporary art world, renowned for her roles as a curator, educator, and advocate. As the Founder and Co-Director of Project for Empty Space, a nonprofit organization with a presence in both New York City and Newark, New Jersey, Wahi's curatorial vision is deeply rooted in themes of femme empowerment and intersectional feminism. Her work challenges binary structures within social discourses while exploring multi-positional cultural identities.

In 2023, Wahi's significant contributions to the arts and social justice were honored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, recognizing her exemplary social impact work. This acknowledgment underscores her pivotal role at Project for Empty Space and her influence as both a museum curator and an independent practitioner.

Additionally, Wahi has made significant strides in advancing social discourse through her curatorial projects. In 2020, she assumed the inaugural position of the Holly Block Social Justice Curator at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, where she curated acclaimed exhibitions such as "Born In Flames: Feminist Futures." Wahi's dedication to fostering dialogue and promoting inclusivity is further evident in her role as a faculty member at Brooklyn College, where she continues to inspire the next generation of artists and activists.

Supporters

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations.

ATLT thanks the New York State Council on the Arts, The Glenmede Trust Company and the Kettering Family Foundation for support of the Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists Campaign.

Location