Executive (Dis)Order: Art, Displacement, & the Ban is a group exhibition organized by Artistic Freedom Initiative. The exhibition brings together artists responding to the complex circumstances catalyzed by restricting physical, creative, and intellectual mobility. The exhibition highlights works by AFI-supported artists who have been affected by the travel ban, or Executive Order 13780, alongside artists whose works reflect struggles and experiences of drift and restraint in the face of socio-political instability. Executive (Dis)Order questions the definition of ‘artists impacted by the travel ban’ and approaches the issue broadly with works that balance personal and public struggle. Through their works, these artists find the common threads between being restrained from movement and forced into displacement.

Artistic Freedom Initiative, a program of the SDK Foundation for Human Dignity, is a non-profit organization led by immigration and human rights attorneys, providing pro bono immigration representation and resettlement assistance to international artists at risk. In addition to these services, AFI partners with arts and culture organizations, museums, galleries, and performance spaces to create opportunities and platforms for our artists to exhibit or showcase their work. The exhibition is organized by independent curator Osman Can Yerebakan.

Participating artists are Rashwan Abdelbaki, Ali Chitsaz, Reem Gibriel, Nadia Gohar, Ibi Ibrahim, Ifrah Mansour, Esperanza Mayobre, Remijon Pronja, Nooshin Rostami, and Asiya Al-Sharabi.

Public programs:

The exhibition’s opening reception, features a meet and greet with the artists and a musical performance by Amir ElSaffar and legendary, Baghdad-based Hamid Al-Saadi, the world’s foremost living performer of the Iraqi Maqam.

The associated film program is organized by ArteEast, and features filmmakers Hala Alabdalla, Ammar Albeik, and Jalal Maghout. Screenings will be held December 16th and January 19th at 3 pm at Queens Museum’s theater.

An associated musical performance will take place at Le Poisson Rouge on January 3rd, featuring revolutionary Egyptian musician Ramy Essam and Iranian sister duo Abjeez.