ART AT A TIME LIKE THIS x Artists at Risk Connection of PEN America Highlight Global Censorship In DANGEROUS ART, ENDANGERED ARTISTS

Art at a Time Like This and Artists at Risk Connection have announced a new event series. Across three impactful days in May and June, ARC and ATLT will unite an extraordinary gathering of artists, cultural workers, and activists. Together, they will not only address the pressing issue of localized censorship within the US but also the authoritarian agenda to suppress artists' rights worldwide.

“There cannot be art without outlets for free expression,” says Barbara Pollack and Anne Verhallen,  co-directors of ATLT,  founded in 2020 for just that purpose. “The frightening trend of banning artworks and silencing artists is a barrier to creativity and an open society.”

“Artistic freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and a sign of a healthy and thriving public,” said Julie Trébault, director of Artists at Risk Connection. “This event series boldly supports the idea that despite rising authoritarianism and censorship, artists must be allowed to continue to create, inspire, and advocate for a more equitable and just future.”

The series begins on Friday, May 10 at the Independent New York coinciding with the PEN World Voices Festival. This day of free programming will feature art community figures with diverse experiences and perspectives. In this unique partnership with Independent New York, art collectors, gallerists, curators and the art-oriented public will understand the challenges artists experience when faced with censorship or authoritarian repression and the ways they can support artist's safety and their right to artistic freedom of expression. Featured speakers to be annouced, but include…(list a few)

Four weeks later, on June 7 and 8, ARC and ATLT will co-host a conference at BRIC, Brooklyn's leading arts and cultural institution. The program consists of a series of timely and dynamic discussions between leading voices in the art world, designed to address the ongoing global censorship crisis. Topics and speakers will be announced in March 2024.

The goal of Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists is to raise awareness of the precarious state of free expression at this moment in history and to foster an understanding of the convergence between art and human rights. ATLT and ARC will spotlight underrepresented communities who are often hit hardest by censorship and repression, including women, BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQ, and indigenous peoples. The series will serve as a platform for artists to articulate their experiences with repression and illuminate its disastrous effects on their creativity.

February - December 2024

Art at a Time Like This will launch a year-long awareness campaign to highlight the importance of freedom of expression with quotes from threatened artists, images of recently censored artworks, and statistics demonstrating this growing danger for all involved in the visual arts.

About Art at a Time Like This 

Art at a Time Like This is a 501c3 not-for-profit arts organization that serves artists and curators facing the 21st century, presenting art in direct response to current events. Utilizing digital and public platforms, this organization presents art in a non-profit context, highlighting art as an invaluable conveyor of content, rather than commodity. Its mission is to show that art can make a difference and that artists and curators can be thought-leaders, envisioning alternative futures for humanity.

About Artists at Risk Connection 

Artists at Risk Connection safeguards the right to artistic freedom of expression and ensures that artists and cultural professionals everywhere can live and work without fear. The ultimate goal is to address the needs of artists at risk and the organizations that serve them. Since its inception in 2017, ARC has assisted more than 500 individual artists and cultural professionals from over 63 countries by connecting them to a wide range of services, including emergency funds, legal assistance, temporary relocation programs, and fellowships.  

About Independent New York

Independent New York was established in 2010 as a consciously scaled art fair focused on inspiring relevant art encounters for a well-informed and devoted Contemporary Art audience. In May 2024, the Independent will celebrate its 15th year with  more than 80  internationally recognized  galleries and non profit institutions.

About BRIC

For over 40 years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn's cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC builds Brooklyn's creative future.