45 of the censorship cases published on Mimeta Memos have been analyzed by an AI-powered platform used for monitoring violations of artistic freedom. Instead of only summarizing text, it looks at meaning and context, using word sense disambiguation to understand sensitive, political, and legal terms correctly in multiple languages. It also performs relationship extraction, identifying who did what, where, and when in each case, so that actors, events, places, and timelines can be connected across all 45 incidents.
At this year’s World Expression Forum (WEXFO) in Lillehammer, artistic freedom was conspicuously absent from the closing statement – a troubling omission from an event meant to champion all aspects of freedom of expression. We, as Mimeta, find this not only disappointing, but deeply concerning.
At Arendalsuka 2025, Samtale og mingel: Kunst, kultur, trusler og (selv)sensur? tackles rising threats to artistic freedom. Organized by Nordisk Ministerråd, Kulturdirektoratet, and Voksenåsen, the event combines expert panels with networking. It highlights challenges from harassment to self-censorship and links cultural resilience with democracy—engaging policymakers, artists, and advocates.
Freemuse’s State of Artistic Freedom 2025 reveals alarming global trends in artistic repression throughout 2024. Launched during Democracy Week in Kristiansand, Norway, the report highlights intensified crackdowns in Iran, Türkiye, China, and conflict zones like Gaza. Democratic nations weren’t spared, as self-censorship grew. Legal and criminal threats continue to endanger artists worldwide. Freemuse calls for global action to protect creative expression.
Cultural institutions in Arendal have established an initiative, Art27Arendal: for artistic rights, freedom of expression, democracy and internationalization.
Kristin Danielsen, from Arendal in Norway, has been named the new Director of the Nordic Culture Fund and will assume the role in September 2025. She brings extensive experience from the arts and culture sector at national, Nordic, and international levels, most recently serving as Chief Executive Director of Arts and Culture Norway.
