Conversations with Artists at Risk (AR)
published on 08. November 2023
A Portrait Series by Schauspielhaus Zürich and Artists At Risk (AR)
Together with the NGO Artists at Risk (AR), Schauspielhaus Zürich is initiating a series of talks with artists from regions affected by war. The series aims to provide a platform for artists whose lives have been affected by war and displacement, and to contribute to a better understanding of the role of art in violent conflicts through their stories, works and biographies. The series is curated by Artists at Risk (AR), hosted and organized by Schauspielhaus Zürich.
Artists at Risk (AR), based in Helsinki, is a global network of art institutions, municipalities, state institutions and NGOs that helps persecuted artists safely leave their countries of origin, procures travel documents, provides legal assistance, arranges residencies and curates contextualizing projects. For several years, Schauspielhaus Zürich has been in exchange with Artists at Risk (AR) and the audience of Schauspielhaus has provided donations to Artists at Risk (AR). The next stage of the collaboration between Schauspielhaus Zürich and Artists at Risk (AR) is the Conversations with Artists at Risk series. Each conversation in this series is conceptualized as a portrait of an individual artist whose practice, life, and art have been affected by violent conflict, political oppression, or personal persecution.
Kurdish artist Barış Seyitvan is the first portrayed artist, to be followed at regular intervals by other artists affected by war. All interviews will be conducted in English by Katinka Deecke, Head Dramaturg at Schauspielhaus Zürich.
Portrait No. 1 - Barış Seyitvan, 2nd October 2023