Art in Exile

Art in Exile creates a platform for artists through times of tyranny, war, and exile to showcase their work and tell their own story. Through films, panel discussions, artwork, and music, Art in Exile will explore the challenges and potential for art as a means of political expression and as catharsis for trying to make sense of conflict and injustice. As Art in Exile expands, it will serve as a formal distribution mechanism to larger markets for artists affected by conflict and exiled from their countries. It will also provide a non-threatening environment for constructive dialogue through artistic expression and a means to reach out to and educate those searching for a human face in a sea of complex political realities and devastating war.

As of 2014, there are nearly 20 million refugees worldwide escaping conflict and political persecution. Around half of this figure are people hailing from the Middle East and North Africa. Fleeing political and religious persecution and violent conflict has led to the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Despite the work of hundreds of humanitarian organizations, the human face of these conflicts is often left unseen and unheard.