World Conference on Artistic Freedom of Expression

TIME: Thursday, 25 October – Friday, 26 October

VENUE: Oslo Opera House, Oslo, Norway

Over the two days of ‘All That is Banned is Desired’, artists, journalists, activists, scholars, curators and others will respond to censorship of the arts around the world.

TIME: Thursday, 25 October – Friday, 26 October

VENUE: Oslo Opera House, Oslo, Norway

Over the two days of ‘All That is Banned is Desired’, artists, journalists, activists, scholars, curators and others will respond to censorship of the arts around the world.

They will discuss and investigate why, where, and how artistic expressions is condemned, banned and persecuted. In particular, focus is on the three principal agents of censorship — religion, state and market.

The acclaimed Hungarian-born conductor Adam Fischer will be speaking at ‘All That is Banned is Desired’.

At the end of 2010, Fischer resigned as Music Director of the Hungarian State Opera in protest against the controversial media law introduced in Hungary in 2011.

Reacting strongly on repression of artistic freedom, the world famous conductor however also says that artists have a responsibility concerning how they address issues and that they should not make use of their art to incite racism and violence.

The 62-year-old conductor has received several awards for his recordings. In 2008 he received an Echo Prize for his new recording of the Haydn symphonies no. 88 and 101 with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra.

The world conference, organised by Fritt Ord Foundation and Freemuse, is the first of its kind. Artists, who have faced censorship, imprisonment or even abduction will talk about their experiences and struggle for freedom of artistic expression.

The list of artists “on stage” includes Burmese comedian and film maker, Zarganar, visual artist Larissa Sansour and playwright Gurpreet Kaur.

For more information, see www.artsfreedom.org