“ARTISTS at RISK (AR) is a non-profit organization at the intersection of human rights and the arts. Since 2013 AR has been collaborating with arts non-profits and government funders to assist artists who are at risk politically and fleeing oppression and war in 26 locations in 19 countries globally. AR has assisted numerous persecuted or imprisoned artists, including Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova, the Vietnamese singer, artist, and political activist Mai Khoi, Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy or Kurdish artists such as Bar?s Seyitvan. See our full list of AR-Artists and alumni here.

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, 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 residences 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 organization, Perpetuum Mobile (PM), also curates events, conferences and the dedicated “AR Pavilion” which showcases the artistic practices of AR-Residents.”