The Art Persists Podcast

Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong joins us for the latest episode of the Art Persists podcast. We chat about his early life growing up in Hong Kong, at the time still under the control of the British. He then talks about his participation in Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement and 2019 Anti-extradition Law Movement, using his work to connect with fellow protestors and using humour to mock and ridicule the authorities. The conversation ends with Kacey talking about his difficult decision to leave Hong Kong forever, self-exiling to Taiwan.

As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more about Kacey’s work: http://www.kaceywong.com/

Learn more about Bosla Arts: https://www.boslaarts.com/

In this episode, we speak to architect Sofia Karim about her work as an architect and also as an activist. She talks about her move into art-activism after the imprisonment of her uncle, the renowned photographer Shahidul Alam. Since that moment, Sofia has dedicated much of her career to art-activism, campaigning for the release of political prisoners worldwide.

As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Sofia Karim is an architect based in London. Her practice combines architecture, visual art and activism. She campaigns for the release of political prisoners across India and Bangladesh. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Tate Modern (London), V&A (London), Coventry Cathedral (UK), The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum (UK), CCLM (Chile), Museo Franklin Rawson (Argentina), Rubin Museum (NY), Wrightwood 659 (Chicago) and Documenta 15 (Steidl/ Kunsthaus Göttingen).

Learn more about Sofia’s work here.

We speak to Syrian cinematographer and filmmaker, Ayman Alhussein. In the episode, we hear about his early life growing up in Syria and taking part in the revolution in 2011 before making the impossible decision to leave - first to Turkey before finally coming to the UK. We talk about the making of AYMAN and his more recent film Matar, and the importance of lived experience in filmmaking. As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Watch AYMAN here.

Stream Matar here.

We are back! Launching Season 4 with a special episode recorded live during Refugee Week in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts. The conversation brought together 3 renowned artists Laura Nyahuye, Ghafar Tajmohammad, and Olga Tkachenko, together, we spoke about the place of art in mental health recovery, along with resilience and it’s limitations in each of the artists’ contexts; from addressing social issues through art, to the Afghan diaspora experience, and finally escaping war in Ukraine.In this episode, we are lucky to include music by USTAVI, who also performed during the event. As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

In this episode, we speak to choreographer and activist Donna Miranda. Donna talks about her upbringing as a dancer and choreographer in the Philippines before transforming her practice into activism during President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs in 2016. She now works as a land activist, promoting the rights of farmers - leading to her unjust arrest in June 2022.Thank you to Donna for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Sign the petition in support of Donna and Tinang 83: https://www.change.org/p/resist-intensifying-fascism-in-the-philippines-drop-all-charges-against-the-tinang-83

In this episode, we speak to Shilo Shiv Suleman, artist and founder of The Fearless Collective. Shilo describes finding her voice as a artist starting at the age of just 13, founding The Fearless Collective - working with communities across the world to create resistance through creativity, and how through the collective she visualises a fairer future.Thank you to Shilo for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Shilo Shiv Suleman is an award-winning Indian artist whose work lives and breathes at the intersection of Magical Realism, Art, Nature, Culture, Technology, and Social Justice. She began her career at 16 as a children’s book illustrator and had 10 published books by the time she was 20. As an INK fellow, her work became known when her talk made it to TED.com, and got just under a million views in 2012.She is the founder and director of the Fearless Collective- a growing movement of hundreds of artists replacing fear with love in public spaces and the frontlines of resistance movements.She has worked with communities across the world in 16 different countries by facilitating and leading public art interventions and has painted over 40 murals with indigenous communities in Brazil, refugee and migrant communities in Beirut, queer activists in South Africa and transgender activists in Pakistan and more.

In this episode, we speak to Ahmed Tobasi, Artistic Director of The Freedom Theatre in the heart of Jenin Refugee Camp in Palestine. We discuss his own experience growing up under occupation and ultimately finding theatre after being imprisoned at the age of just 17. Tobasi talks about theatre as a form of resistance, uniting communities, and giving children their childhood back.Thank you to Tobasi for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.The Freedom Theatre is a community-based theatre and cultural centre in Jenin Refugee Camp, occupied Palestine that uses culture as a form of resistance.The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 2nd issue, Beyond Resilience, with the code: TAPP.Find out more about The Freedom Theatre:https://thefreedomtheatre.org/

We speak to Turkish artist, poet, and activist Ege Dündar about his experience of forced exile following the persecution of his father in Turkey, his debut poetry book, All These Things Aren’t Really Lost, and how solidarity acts as ‘medicine’ against oppression.Thank you to Ege for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Ege Dündar is a 28 year old writer and activist from Turkey. He has been working at PEN International campaigning for free expression for nearly 7 years across various projects and positions, most recently as Youth Engagement Coordinator. His debut poetry book All These Things Aren’t Really Lost is due out from Black Spring Press soon. He produced a report for German foundation Körber Stiftung on the state of Exile Media in Europe. Ege was also contributor in our latest issue, Beyond Resilience.Find out more about Ege: https://www.instagram.com/egedundar

We speak to Chinese artist Badiucao. In the episode, Badiucao talks about his self-exile from China, becoming a dissident artist who uses his work to stand up to Xi Jinping’s regime and other authoritarian governments. He also draws on the ongoing threat he faces by the Chinese government, extending beyond China to Hong Kong, Australia, and the rest of the world.Thank you to Badiucao for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Learn more about his work: https://www.badiucao.com/

In this episode, we speak to artist Gianluca Costantini. We talk about his expansive career - becoming a voice for political prisoners worldwide through his drawing, and telling human stories with books including Libia.Thank you to Gianluca for joining us for this episode and Elettra Stamboulis for interpreting. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Gianluca Costantini is an activist and artist who for years fought his battles through the drawing. Accused of terrorism by the Turkish government, he angered many French readers for a short comic about Charlie Hebdo‘s terrorist story. He actively collaborates with ActionAid, Amnesty, Emergency, ARCI and Oxfam organisations. His latest books are Patrick Zaki, una storia egiziana for Feltrinelli, Libia for Mondadori, among others.

Elettra Stamboulis, is a curator and comic writer based in Ravenna, Italy. As a curator, she presented Marjane Satrapi's, Joe Sacco's, Zograf's personal exhibitions and many others international drawers in Italy; she is the founder and curator of Komikazen International Festival of Reality Comics, taking place in Ravenna since 2005.

Learn more about Gianluca's work: https://www.channeldraw.org/