historic hotel in Salzburg, Austria, played host recently to an extraordinary group of artists and activists. During a nearly week-long program, each one of them had a story to tell, and there were many similarities—stories of repression, threat, and exile. They told their stories in large groups and small, in quiet conversations and loud.
To this visiting journalist, it felt like an important cathartic moment for all those present. But to Mary Ann DeVlieg, the gathering of this group at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron spoke to a bigger global moment—a time for policymakers and institutions worldwide to recognize that the right to free expression is under deepening threat. The catharsis was a “signal” of the battle being fought by the artists and activists on the front lines and the need to support them, she said.
“These people are all fighting with everything they have for freedom and democratic values in their situations. Soldiers get uniforms and guns; these artists fight for freedoms with music, paint, text, and film. Both are apt to suffer physical harm, death, or prison,” DeVlieg said. “And I think that in my life, working in this field, I’ve never seen a year, a point, this year in fact, where institutions and policy makers are aware of this phenomenon. … I think we should focus on this moment.”
DeVlieg was curator for Salzburg Global Seminar’s latest session, “On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk.” SGS convened more than 50 artists, activists, and allies from more than 40 countries at its home in Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, from 25-30 March 2023.
Why 2023 Might Be the 'Moment'
There’s no doubt that many global institutions and organizations are already recognizing this year as a moment of reckoning for the freedom of artistic expression.
DeVlieg ticked off some of the indicators, including some in which she’s played a role. Take the Council of Europe’s launch of a Manifesto on the Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in the Digital Era, to mark the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as well as an accompanying digital exhibition titled “Free to Create —Create to be Free.” In February 2023 the Council released a report examining artistic freedom in Europe. Then there is the upcoming 9th World Summit on Arts and Culture, set for Stockholm, Sweden, from 3-5 May, 2023. Its focus: “Safeguarding Artistic Freedom.” And DeVlieg identified a rising number of arts organizations—including arts councils worldwide–focusing on this topic for prizes, festivals, and new funds, including Mimeta’s Artists at Risk Funding Initiative.
This focus comes at a time when the right to free expression is under sustained assault, and artists and activists are bearing the brunt of the attack, as democracies and good governance face both interior and exterior challenges.
“I think now we’re in a position to really point out the fact that we are a community together with the human rights community, human rights defenders, anyone who is really trying to point out the value of human rights and democracy,” DeVlieg said. “They are our allies, we are their allies.”
The Toll, and the Challenge
In Salzburg, the convened group of artists, activists, and allies left the week without a finalized statement representing the gathering—although reportedly two are under development. But in the program’s final hours, several working groups of those assembled did name some of the challenges they were facing, and proposed some steps forward.
One group examined the interplay of art and activism, and the blurred lines for creative work that seeks to envision a better world, a better future. Another discussed the importance of artist involvement and risk of invisibility for many in the emerging field of AI. Others examined structural inequities and intersectoral equity. There was deep discussion surrounding the importance of care for art institutions or organizations at risk of getting “canceled” and some immediate steps to take to better incorporate public discussion, and adopt new perspectives and partnerships.
There was also significant attention paid to artist and activist safety. One working group put together a graphic “handbook” for artists at risk, identifying threats and protective mechanisms. Another group examined those protective mechanisms, looking at structural issues, funding constraints, cultural specificities and the need for deeper support for artist well-being and mental health.
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For Global Policymakers, a Crucial Moment in Defense of Free Expression
Image courtesy of Salzburg Global Seminar on flickr. Photo credit to Christian Streili.
April 7, 2023
A cathartic week heralded a critical year for global policymakers and institutions to recognize those on the front lines of the battle for the freedom of artistic expression, writes DC editor Jeremy Fugleberg.
A
historic hotel in Salzburg, Austria, played host recently to an extraordinary group of artists and activists. During a nearly week-long program, each one of them had a story to tell, and there were many similarities—stories of repression, threat, and exile. They told their stories in large groups and small, in quiet conversations and loud.
To this visiting journalist, it felt like an important cathartic moment for all those present. But to Mary Ann DeVlieg, the gathering of this group at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron spoke to a bigger global moment—a time for policymakers and institutions worldwide to recognize that the right to free expression is under deepening threat. The catharsis was a “signal” of the battle being fought by the artists and activists on the front lines and the need to support them, she said.
“These people are all fighting with everything they have for freedom and democratic values in their situations. Soldiers get uniforms and guns; these artists fight for freedoms with music, paint, text, and film. Both are apt to suffer physical harm, death, or prison,” DeVlieg said. “And I think that in my life, working in this field, I’ve never seen a year, a point, this year in fact, where institutions and policy makers are aware of this phenomenon. … I think we should focus on this moment.”
DeVlieg was curator for Salzburg Global Seminar’s latest session, “On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk.” SGS convened more than 50 artists, activists, and allies from more than 40 countries at its home in Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, from 25-30 March 2023.
Why 2023 Might Be the 'Moment'
There’s no doubt that many global institutions and organizations are already recognizing this year as a moment of reckoning for the freedom of artistic expression.
DeVlieg ticked off some of the indicators, including some in which she’s played a role. Take the Council of Europe’s launch of a Manifesto on the Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in the Digital Era, to mark the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as well as an accompanying digital exhibition titled “Free to Create —Create to be Free.” In February 2023 the Council released a report examining artistic freedom in Europe. Then there is the upcoming 9th World Summit on Arts and Culture, set for Stockholm, Sweden, from 3-5 May, 2023. Its focus: “Safeguarding Artistic Freedom.” And DeVlieg identified a rising number of arts organizations—including arts councils worldwide–focusing on this topic for prizes, festivals, and new funds, including Mimeta’s Artists at Risk Funding Initiative.
This focus comes at a time when the right to free expression is under sustained assault, and artists and activists are bearing the brunt of the attack, as democracies and good governance face both interior and exterior challenges.
“I think now we’re in a position to really point out the fact that we are a community together with the human rights community, human rights defenders, anyone who is really trying to point out the value of human rights and democracy,” DeVlieg said. “They are our allies, we are their allies.”
The Toll, and the Challenge
In Salzburg, the convened group of artists, activists, and allies left the week without a finalized statement representing the gathering—although reportedly two are under development. But in the program’s final hours, several working groups of those assembled did name some of the challenges they were facing, and proposed some steps forward.
One group examined the interplay of art and activism, and the blurred lines for creative work that seeks to envision a better world, a better future. Another discussed the importance of artist involvement and risk of invisibility for many in the emerging field of AI. Others examined structural inequities and intersectoral equity. There was deep discussion surrounding the importance of care for art institutions or organizations at risk of getting “canceled” and some immediate steps to take to better incorporate public discussion, and adopt new perspectives and partnerships.
There was also significant attention paid to artist and activist safety. One working group put together a graphic “handbook” for artists at risk, identifying threats and protective mechanisms. Another group examined those protective mechanisms, looking at structural issues, funding constraints, cultural specificities and the need for deeper support for artist well-being and mental health.
