Attorney Sanjay Sethi Discusses Artistic Freedom Initiative's Work, Oppression of the Arts and Cultural Sectors Globally & the Need for Pluralistic Discourse Warfare of Art & Law Podcast

Cover image by Nosrat Tarighi of Sanjay Sethi at an AFI event entitled Revolutions and Movements

To learn more, please visit the sites for Artistic Freedom Initiative and Sethi & Mazaheri, LLC.


Show Notes:


2:00 overview of Sethi’s background and work as Founding Partner of Sethi & Mazaheri, LLC and Co-Executive Director of Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI)
3:45 genesis and mission of AFI
5:00 AFI’s services
8:00 AFI’s residency program
9:00 AFI’s Artists for Social Change
9:45 challenges to helping artists
13:00 AFI’s creation of a sponsorship model
13:30 AFI’s program in Germany
15:00 determination of artists in imminent danger
16:20 assistance for female artists
18:20 university placements for female artists
18:40 the New School’s fellowships for Afghan artists at risk
19:00 Germany’s program for artists at risk
21:00 Journals of Exile at the Berliner Ensemble
22:10 programs through AFI’s Artists For Social Change
23:45 Brazilian Singer Songwriter Bia Ferreira
25:20 AFI’s Afghan Artists Protection Project & Iranian Artists Support Project
27:00 challenges of single intent visas like student visas and O-1 visas
28:30 denial of entry based on immigration intent for Afghan versus Iranian artists 
30:00 applications from Myanmar, Egypt, Nicaragua, India and particular Kashmir
31:00 impact of prior and upcoming elections 
31:30 Poland shifted back to center left with loss of Law and Justice (PiS) party
31:50 Slovakia’s election of Robert Fico with agenda similar to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán
32:00 Slovenia’s election of liberal Robert Golob
32:10 Brazil’s election of leftist former president, defeating Pres. Jair Bolsonaro
32:15 Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist Party projected to win 
32:30 elections in Italy and the Netherlands
32:45 new and different threats to cultural sectors globally
33:00 AfI’s Artistic Freedom Monitor - initial reports on Poland and Hungary
36:00 regimes replaced museum/cultural institution heads with right wing politicians
36:00 Curation of shows under those regimes would conform to nationalist ideals
37:25  defunding anti-regime institutions or anti-Catholic in Poland 
37:50 intimidation of non-conforming artists
38:10 Poland’s use of blasphemy law to criminally charge non-conforming artists
38:00 chilling effect of such subversive mechanisms 
39:15 AFI’s position that arts decisions should be merits-based and non-ideological   
39:30 response to Artistic Freedom Monitor’s reports
40:00 erroneous belief that arts are inconsequential in public & political dialogue 
41:35 elevation of AFI’s advocacy efforts to an international forum 
44:00 collaboration to lobby for artistic and creative freedom
45:00 impact of artificial intelligence 
47:50 legacy of his work
49:50 how his notion of justice has evolved




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© Stephanie Drawdy [2024]