American Art Was Evacuated During the Talibans Takeover of Afghanistan – Observer
Vendors sell Taliban flags in front of a wall alongside the US embassy in Kabul on September 13, 2021. KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images
According to a new report from The Art Newspaper, during the initial scramble of American officials from Afghanistan that took place when it became clear that the Talibans takeover efforts would be successful, the United States embassy also hastily ensured that the art collection housed in its facility would be sent back to America as well. These works evidently include Pat Lipskys Builder (1999), a carpet installation by Lisa Anne Auerbach and New Morning (2009) by Judy Pfaff. Camille Benton, the curator of the U.S. State Departments Art in Embassies program, also reportedly told Lipsky that the governments main priority was getting people out of Afghanistan, but that more information regarding her works location would be forthcoming.
During the time that the art evacuation was taking place, many US staff were still struggling to leave Afghanistan. We have confirmed that pieces of art were packed up and shipped before embassy operations shifted to the Kabul airport, a spokesperson for the State Department told The Art Newspaper. These items have arrived in the United States and are in the process of being reviewed and inventoried. Ever since the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan, concerns have been raised regarding whether the group intends to pose a threat to items that make up the countrys cultural heritage.
Some, like representatives from the D.C.-based Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage, have said that Taliban counterpartshave stated that they agree with the need to protect historic sites. But given the Talibans proven track record of cracking down on artistic expression and wrecking significant artifacts, including the 2001 destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, organizations like the British Council have suspended Afghanistan-based heritage projects until further notice. Afghan musicians have also been fleeing the country.
Afghan artists recently told the Washington Post that theyve been burying paintings, stashing away books and hiding hard drives packed with films out of anxiety that the Taliban will destroy them. The Taliban has not issued any statements regarding the arts, Safiullah Habibi, the director of Kabuls Fine Arts Institute, told the Post. But artists themselves are limiting themselves. They think the Taliban will repeat what happened in the 1990s. At that time, the arts had no place in their rule.
Until the Taliban elucidates its official policies when it comes to art, its clear that American officials werent going to take any chances when it came to the U.S. embassys collection.
Go here to read the rest:
American Art Was Evacuated During the Talibans Takeover of Afghanistan - Observer
- FIFA sanctions creation of Afghanistan womens refugee team - The Athletic - The New York Times - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Voices of Afghanistan Interview Series: 'We, the female doctorsonce symbols of womens progress, ability, and independenceare now facing barriers,... - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- FIFA OKs creation of Afghanistan womens refugee team - Field Level Media - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Journalist Kim Cross on reconstructed narratives and the women who led a cycling revolution in Afghanistan - Nieman Storyboard - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Taliban Earning Billions, Giving American Weaponry to Terrorist Groups as Afghanistan Once Again Becomes Jihadi Hotbed: Report - freebeacon.com - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Gender Apartheid And Mental Health Crisis In Afghanistan - Forbes - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- BEHIND THE BADGE: Jonathan "Joey" Jones Previews New Book, Weighs in on Biden's Gaza Pier and Afghanistan Withdraw Disasters - FOX News... - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Suspended/Closed Health Facilities due to the U.S. Government Work-Stop Ban (Update as of 6 May 2025) - ReliefWeb - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Muhajira: A Girl Born on the Border Between Afghanistan and Pakistan - ReliefWeb - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Commentary: Trump caved to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Will he repeat in the Russia-Ukraine talks? - Yahoo - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Lavrov Warns NATO Of 'Time Bomb' in Afghanistan Over Military Redeployment Attempts | Watch - Times of India - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- MTN leaves Afghanistan, hands over to M1 Group - Developing Telecoms - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Governments of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan to sign railway project - AzerNews - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Afghan-American appointed to lead U.S. policy on Afghanistan at the State Department - ASIA-Plus - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Veterans who each lost part of a leg in Afghanistan try for new world record with Grand Canyon hike - Stars and Stripes - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Suspended/Closed Health Facilities due to the U.S. Government Work-Stop Ban (Update as of 22 April 2025) - ReliefWeb - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- On This Day in 2008, a Mortar Attack Halts Toby Keiths USO Concert in Afghanistan - American Songwriter - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Pakistan, Russia agree to boost cooperation on terrorism threats in Afghanistan - MSN - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- US weapons left behind in Afghanistan now with Taliban: Why is Pakistan ringing alarm bells? - Firstpost - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan womens team gets funding from the International Cricket Council - AP News - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Trump administration ending temporary protected status for nationals from Afghanistan and Cameroon - Scripps News - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- US restores urgent food aid, except in Afghanistan and Yemen, two of the worlds poorest countries - AP News - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan women's team gets funding from the International Cricket Council - MSN - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Has Taliban Handed Over Bagram Airbase to US? | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G - Firstpost - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Terrorists used US weapons abandoned in Afghanistan in Jaffer Express attack: report - Dawn - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Anti-US banner appears on former embassy in Afghanistan - Caliber.Az - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan women's team gets funding from the International Cricket Council - The Derrick - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan women's team gets funding from the International Cricket Council - Traverse City Record-Eagle - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Taliban carries out public execution of two men in western Afghanistan - Times of India - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- 'Trump and Afghanistan are the perfect illustration of America withdrawing into itself' - Le Monde.fr - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- A midwife says of the aid cuts in Afghanistan: 'No one prioritizes women's lives.' - NPR - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Banned from education: A review of the right to education in Afghanistan - UNESCO - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- The Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan - AP News - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- ACAPS Thematic report - Afghanistan: Implications of the US foreign aid cuts on the humanitarian response (01 April 2025) - ReliefWeb - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- American woman held in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released, AP source says - AP News - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- India says it is monitoring reports of abuse against Sikhs in Afghanistan and Pakistan - Amu TV - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- EU and Central Asian leaders urge inclusive government in Afghanistan - News.az - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- About 140 years old: the oldest person on Earth lives in Afghanistan - EADaily - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Trump hands Taliban-controlled Afghanistan the same 'Liberation Day' tariff as the UK 'after terror group spen - Daily Mail - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan ,Italy, Poland, Spain, South Korea And More Countries Propel Gilans Tourism To... - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Suspended/Closed Health Facilities due to the U.S. Government Work-Stop Ban (Update as of 1 April 2025) - ReliefWeb - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Bidens Failure in Afghanistan: Public Relations Was the Concern Not the Dissent Cable - American Center for Law and Justice - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- TTP, BLA's armament: Pakistan urges UNSC to prevent weapons' access to terrorists in Afghanistan - Geo.tv - April 5th, 2025 [April 5th, 2025]
- Taliban frees an American man who was abducted while traveling in Afghanistan more than 2 years ago - The Associated Press - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American George Glezmann freed by Taliban more than 2 years after arrest in Afghanistan - CBS News - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- George Glezmann, US man detained in Afghanistan in 2022, released by Taliban in goodwill gesture - The Times of India - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American detained by Taliban in Afghanistan is freed in deal mediated by Qatar - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Security Council renews UN mission as WHO warns of health catastrophe - UN News - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been released - AOL - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Taliban frees an American man who was abducted while traveling in Afghanistan more than 2 years ago - The Sun Chronicle - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American Detained In Afghanistan By The Taliban Has been Released - iHeart - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Afghanistan's school year begins without girls beyond sixth grade - News.Az - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American Detained In Afghanistan By The Taliban Has been Released - KLVI - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- American Detained In Afghanistan By The Taliban Has been Released - WIMA - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Swiss government to deport rejected asylum seekers from Afghanistan - SWI swissinfo.ch in English - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- US citizen George Glezmann released from detention in Afghanistan - Herald Palladium - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- India ranks 118th in World Happiness Report, Afghanistan is last - Deccan Herald - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- We have no presence in India, Afghanistan or anywhere else: BLA - News Vibes of India - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Afghanistan trying to connect with neighbors via railway - Pajhwok Afghan News - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- 80% Of Afghanistan Services Risk Shutdown By June: World Health Organization - NDTV - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- British pensioners jailed in Afghanistan to appear in court after the Taliban said their arrest was a 'misunde - Daily Mail - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Why is India quietly boosting ties with Afghanistan's Taliban? - Nikkei Asia - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan vets group to step down later this spring - Military Times - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Explained: Trump travel ban 2.0 to affect 43 countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan - The Indian Express - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- NewsMakers Afghanistan and the Future of American - Home - The Commune - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- He helped in Afghanistan. Now, his family is blocked from coming to Charlotte under Trump. - Charlotte Observer - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Health Crisis in Afghanistan: 206,000 Infected with Acute Respiratory Diseases in One Month - Hasht-e Subh Daily - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Rule Breakers review: Terrific drama shows the battle for girls' education in Afghanistan - New Scientist - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Trump calls US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan most humiliating moment in history - Amu TV - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- UAE expands healthcare access with state-of-the-art clinics in Afghanistan - The Tribune India - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Pakistan, Afghanistan among 43 nations to be put in Trump administration's new travel ban list - Connected to India - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- I served in Afghanistan. President Trumps war on DEI is making Americas military weaker - Stars and Stripes - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Pakistan says train attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan: It was like a rain of rockets and bullets - The Independent - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- UAE expands healthcare access with state-of-the-art clinics in Afghanistan - ETHealthWorld - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Hizb-ut-Tahrir Afghanistan: West Is Trying To Assimilate Taliban - Middle East Media Research Institute - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Remarks by Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Charg dAffaires, at a UN Security Council Briefing on Afghanistan - United States Mission to the United Nations - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]
- Afghanistan Monthly Protection Update As of January 2025 - ReliefWeb - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]
- Briefing to the United Nations Security Council by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, 10 March 2025 -... - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]
- The UK unequivocally condemns the Talibans ban on girls' education in Afghanistan: UK statement at the UN Security Council - GOV.UK - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]
- A War and the Taliban: Life of a Greek Woman in Male-Dominated Afghanistan - Greek Reporter - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]