Artists under Siege: Deterioration of digital spaces and state-led erasure of dissident voices
Artists in the region, many of whom come from already marginalized communities, will face devastating sociopolitical and financial precarity as a result of these actions. Despite the numerous political, social, and cultural differences exhibited throughout the region, there is continuity in the legal imposition of censorship against dissidents directly challenging artists, who, through their craft, exhibit the realities and abuses endured within their respective countries. Artists are activists, human rights defenders, cultural rights defenders, and just like any other human being, have political beliefs and opinions. Given the power of art to question social and political constructs, actions such as those in Russia call attention to artistic expression online and how it has increasingly come under attack. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, dissident Russian artists face an even more severe crackdown on their free expression as the Russian government clamps down viciously on anti-war sentiments. These efforts have included foreign agent laws made to target news outlets and silence dissent that receives support from abroad, to the creation of fake news laws in March of 2022 and amendments used to fine or jail opposition for critiquing the military, among other actions.
Hope
Writing does not come natural to me and I don’t know what to add to the topic as there is so much to write about that I feel hopeless. For instance I learned this image was removed yesterday from Instagram on the new @boysfineart page even after appeal. They have already had their original @queer_art_photography account completely removed. The absurdity and frustration has reached new heights. When I wrote my public letter back in 2017 I was fueled with energy to help make change. I honestly believed artists working with the body would find a way to coexist in the mainstream social media world but it is far worse now. I have seen movements come and go that have attempted to challenge the Facebook/Meta dictatorship to no avail. We are backed into a corner with little hope of making it out. I know change takes (a lot of) time but how many artists will not stick around to weather the storm? What will be left on these platforms without challenging art?