"Palestinian-American photographer Adam Rouhana wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in which he explained his drive to create positive images to counter the media’s portrayal of the Palestinian people as violent terrorists or expendable additions to statistics. ‘By decolonizing photography,’ he explained, ‘we can decolonize our minds and achieve a more nuanced understanding of Palestinian reality.’ Rouhana’s photography project ‘Before Freedom’ exploring these ideas was recognized at the Belfast Photo Festival of 2024."

“Art must be allowed to criticize, to provoke, to push the boundaries in any society.” This was the statement declared by a panel of the U.N.’s experts on Iran in response to the death sentence placed upon Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi. On April 24, Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, led by Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, charged Salehi with “waging war against God” and “corruption on earth”, crimes punishable by death.

In January, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency seized 23 works from Ahmad’s collection–together worth $1.3 million. This seizure is the most recent step in investigations into Ahmad, who was charged with financing the organization Hezbollah through his art and diamond dealings. As such, governments are cracking down on the art market but this comes with repercussions for artists, art dealers, and auction houses.