Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression

In the Fall of 2022, the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran sparked mass protests demanding greater freedoms and an end to repressive laws for women in Iran. Artists played a pivotal role in what became known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. In Iranian diasporic...

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Main Author: Deanne Fisher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centro de Diseño, Cine y Television 2025-05-01
Series:Economia Creativa
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Online Access:https://ciecpress.centro.edu.mx/ojs/index.php/CentroTI/article/view/738
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author Deanne Fisher
author_facet Deanne Fisher
author_sort Deanne Fisher
collection DOAJ
description In the Fall of 2022, the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran sparked mass protests demanding greater freedoms and an end to repressive laws for women in Iran. Artists played a pivotal role in what became known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. In Iranian diasporic communities around the world, artists amplified the voices of protestors through visual art, film, music, poetry, and performance, drawing global attention to the movement's demands for justice and freedom. In doing so, many of these artists took significant risks. The Iranian regime is known to reach across borders to stifle opposition using a broad range of techniques – from kidnapping, detention, and killing through to online tactics of harassment, surveillance, and threats, including threats to family members. And while more severe situations attract media and government attention, it is the “everyday” tactics, amounting to a “constant barrage of harassment, intimidation, and surveillance,” that leave many artists vulnerable, without support, and can lead to self-censorship (Schenkkan and Linzer, 2021, p. 37). These new tools of digital transnational repression are practical from the perspective of authoritarian states whose interest is to silence dissent. And artists are particularly vulnerable (Whyatt, 2023; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023). This paper examines the recent tactics of digital transnational repression and their impact on artists, outlining the levers, tools, and resources that organizations and institutions supporting artists need to engage in order to protect the freedom of artistic expression, which is fundamental to democratic societies.
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spelling doaj-art-5b9da7047ed74c38a61f6e746f614d3c2025-08-20T03:47:34ZengCentro de Diseño, Cine y TelevisionEconomia Creativa2395-82002025-05-012110.46840/ec.2024.21.738Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression Deanne Fisher0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0384-4056Ontario College of Art & Design University - Canada In the Fall of 2022, the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran sparked mass protests demanding greater freedoms and an end to repressive laws for women in Iran. Artists played a pivotal role in what became known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. In Iranian diasporic communities around the world, artists amplified the voices of protestors through visual art, film, music, poetry, and performance, drawing global attention to the movement's demands for justice and freedom. In doing so, many of these artists took significant risks. The Iranian regime is known to reach across borders to stifle opposition using a broad range of techniques – from kidnapping, detention, and killing through to online tactics of harassment, surveillance, and threats, including threats to family members. And while more severe situations attract media and government attention, it is the “everyday” tactics, amounting to a “constant barrage of harassment, intimidation, and surveillance,” that leave many artists vulnerable, without support, and can lead to self-censorship (Schenkkan and Linzer, 2021, p. 37). These new tools of digital transnational repression are practical from the perspective of authoritarian states whose interest is to silence dissent. And artists are particularly vulnerable (Whyatt, 2023; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023). This paper examines the recent tactics of digital transnational repression and their impact on artists, outlining the levers, tools, and resources that organizations and institutions supporting artists need to engage in order to protect the freedom of artistic expression, which is fundamental to democratic societies. https://ciecpress.centro.edu.mx/ojs/index.php/CentroTI/article/view/738artistic freedomdigital transnational repressionforeign interferenceartists at riskcensorship
spellingShingle Deanne Fisher
Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
Economia Creativa
artistic freedom
digital transnational repression
foreign interference
artists at risk
censorship
title Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
title_full Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
title_fullStr Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
title_full_unstemmed Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
title_short Creativity in the Context of Risk: the Impact of Digital Transnational Repression on Artistic Expression
title_sort creativity in the context of risk the impact of digital transnational repression on artistic expression
topic artistic freedom
digital transnational repression
foreign interference
artists at risk
censorship
url https://ciecpress.centro.edu.mx/ojs/index.php/CentroTI/article/view/738
work_keys_str_mv AT deannefisher creativityinthecontextofrisktheimpactofdigitaltransnationalrepressiononartisticexpression