Statements
Artist
stories
Stories of at-risk artists from Europe who are committed to protecting their right to freedom of expression and using their art to fight for justice.
Russia
Zhenya Berkovich
Russia
Yulia Tsvetkova
Ukraine
Oleg Sentsov
Russia
Masha Alekhina
Ukraine
Tamara Shevchuk
Russia
Kirill Serebrennikov
Exhibitions
ARC organizes online exhibitions to platform at-risks artists supported by the organization.
The Art of Resistance:
Contemporary Art from
Russia & Belarus
Curated by Vera Shengalia
Meetings & Workshops
ARC organizes meetings and workshops with artists and other stakeholders around the world to advance artistic freedom.
Strengthening Cultural & Creative Industries of Ukraine, 2024
On March 25, 2024 ARC’s Ukraine Representative co-chaired an online meeting of Working Group 4, “Strengthening Cultural and Creative Industries of Ukraine”, under the auspices of UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy (MCIP) of Ukraine. The meeting updated the Action Plan for Culture in Ukraine and identified the priorities and needs of creative sectors as well as artists and cultural professionals in Ukraine as of March 2024. The outputs of this meeting fed into the nternational Conference “Towards the recovery of the culture sector of Ukraine,” hosted by Lithuania in June 2024 under the auspices of UNESCO, ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin (June 11-12, 2024).
Ukraine Vision @ Kulturhuset Stadseatern, 2024
From February 2nd-4th, 2024, ARC attended Ukraine Vision 2024 at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm, Sweden. ARC’s Ukraine Representative, Oleksandra Yakubenko, moderated the “Empowerment of Ukrainian Artistry: Cultivating Support Networks” in Sweden with artists Nina Rohlcke, Theresa Lekberg, Ulricha Johnson, and Oleksandra Vvoronina. The discussion examined “the challenges faced by these artists in a new cultural context, emphasizing the need for robust networks offering mentorship, funding, exhibition opportunities, and community integration.”
Ukrainian Music as a Tool for Diplomacy @ WOMEX, 2023
ARC organized a panel titled “Ukrainian Music as a Tool for Diplomacy” at the 2023 Edition of the World Music Expo, or WOMEX, held in Coruna, Spain, from October 25th – 29th. ARC’s Ukraine Representative, Oleksandra Yakubenko moderated a panel discussion with Alona Dmukhovska, co-founder and CEO of NGO Music Exports Ukraine, and Yuriy Gurzhy, author, musician, DJ, and director. They explored the history and current state of Ukrainian music diplomacy, the recording and performing landscape in Ukraine, and the potential for collaborations with Ukrainian artists.
Cultural Rights, Heritage Destruction, and the Future of Ukraine, 2023
From December 4th to 8th, 2023, leaders from Ukrainian museums and heritage organizations gathered with experts from PennCHC at the Penn Museum and held a series of private convenings and discussed the role of museums during times of geopolitical conflict and devastation. On December 7th, ARC participated in the workshop “Cultural Rights, Heritage Destruction, and the Future of Ukraine” as part of the “Protecting Cultural Memory and Identity During Wartime: Ukrainian Museum Professionals Work with Penn Cultural Heritage Center” conference. Other topics included cultural rights and international law, Russian occupation and colonization of nations such as Georgia and Ukraine, and the documentation of damage during the war.
Events
Venice - Italy
ARC @ La Biennale di Venezia 2026
9 May – 22 November 2026
Discover how the Pavilion of Finland at the 61st Venice Biennale is partnering with ARC – Artists at Risk Connection through "Aeolian Suite" by Jenna Sutela, highlighting artistic freedom, solidarity, and support for artists at risk worldwide.
Paris - France
ARC @ ICOM France – Museums Under Pressure
2 June 2026
ARC – Artists at Risk Connection joins ICOM France for a public debate at the École du Louvre and online on the growing pressures facing artistic, curatorial, and academic freedom. Bringing together museum leaders, researchers, and cultural professionals, the discussion will examine censorship, self-censorship, and political pressures affecting cultural institutions.
The Hague - The Netherlands
ARC @ Movies that Matter Festival
20 - 28 March 2026
At the internationally renowned Movies that Matter Festival in The Hague, filmmakers, human rights defenders, artists, and audiences from around the world come together to engage with powerful stories that confront injustice and inspire change. From 20 - 28 March 2026, through films and dialogues, the Festival affirms a shared conviction: that storytelling is not only a reflection of global realities, but a force capable of shaping them.
Paris - France
ARC @ Forum Europe Créative 2025
2 December 2025
This forum invites artists, cultural professionals, audiovisual and media actors, researchers and decision-makers to reflect together: How, today in Europe, can culture still defend freedom, revive engagement, and nurture a democracy in flux?
Barcelona - Spain
Cultural Rights Now | MONDIACULT 2025
1 October 2025
ARC will cohost the panel "Cultural Rights Now: Voices at Risk, Access in Action" as part of MONDIACULT 2025. The discussion is in collaboration with EBA — Europe Beyond Access, the Diputació de Barcelona, and the British Council.