Rapper-in-residence at Bard College Berlin: Ali ATH joins BCB as Artist Protection Fund Fellow from Afghanistan

Ali ATH is an Afghan hip hop artist whose music reflects his struggles and experiences in Afghanistan, particularly on issues around human rights, corruption, and freedom. He has released multiple albums and singles and, notably, became the first artist in Afghanistan to distribute music on an international scale. He is currently working on a documentary about Afghan musicians’ lives under Taliban rule, highlighting the restrictions and dangers they face.

Since September 2024, Ali is in residence at Bard College Berlin as an Artist Protection Fund Fellow, where he will be working with faculty and the BCB community to further develop his documentary, collaborate on projects, and contribute to the college’s vibrant academic and artistic community through his diverse creative skillset. An initiative of Institute of International Education, the Artist Protection Fund (IIE-APF) fills a critical unmet need by protecting threatened artists and placing them at welcoming host institutions in safe countries where they can continue their work and plan for their futures.

“When people ask if I’m a rapper, producer, or filmmaker,” Ali says, “I’ve come to realize that above all, I’m a storyteller. And I’ll continue to share my stories through whatever medium feels right.” However, his journey to the Fellowship has not been easy.

Ali’s music had always been critical of the Taliban’s beliefs and actions, condemning their violence against civilians—violence that often targeted his people, the minority Hazara group in Afghanistan. When the Taliban took over in 2021, he attempted multiple times to flee, enduring deportations once from Turkey and twice from Iran. Seeking asylum was equally difficult, he says, as the organizations assisting people like him were overwhelmed, and there was no specific support available for artists.

After ten months, he received a humanitarian visa to Germany. However, relocating to Europe didn’t mean immediately resuming his music career: “When I first met with the job center, I told them I was a musician, and the response I received—’I asked for your profession, not your hobby’—was devastating.”

Ali was placed in an Asylheim, a housing center for asylum-seekers. “Unfortunately,” he explains, “I faced a significant challenge at the Asylheim: Social workers, aiming to reduce conflict, often grouped residents by their religious and cultural backgrounds. While this approach might make sense for some, it didn’t work for me. As a musician, non-religious, and openly against the Taliban, I was placed in a room with someone who was extremely religious, a Taliban supporter, and openly racist toward my people.”

Despite the lack of privacy in a shared space, as well as the physical and mental pressure of studying German while working in a warehouse, Ali still managed to record and release music. In 2023 he performed for an audience of 300 Afghans in Erfurt, Germany, taking a stance against the Taliban. In early 2024 he showcased a preview of his current documentary project at the Deutsches Filminstitut und Filmmuseum (DFF) in Frankfurt—the screening of which has helped five other musicians featured in the documentary accelerate their humanitarian visa applications.

Ali was accepted for the Artist Protection Fund Fellowship, which he describes as “a true lifeline.” After 18 months of searching for a program host, he was placed at Bard College Berlin. “I am deeply grateful to APF and Bard College Berlin,” he says, “for hosting me and providing the opportunity to continue working on my projects.”

Ali has been at Bard College Berlin for over one month so far. “I’ve come to realize that BCB is truly unique,” he explains. “After finishing high school, I wasn’t able to attend university due to financial constraints. Nearly a decade later, the experience of living on a college campus feels incredible. Being surrounded by motivated, artistic, and diverse individuals is what I always imagined freedom would feel like.”

His main focus during his residency will be to complete his documentary, incorporating feedback from faculty members. In addition, he is working on finishing an album and is open to student collaborators as instrumentalists, actors, videographers, or editors.

“I recognize that I’m a unique case at Bard College Berlin,” Ali says, “as there hasn’t been a rapper or music producer fellow before me, which presents an exciting challenge for everyone involved. I look forward to getting to know everyone, hearing their stories, and exchanging ideas. My door is always open, and I’m excited to have meaningful conversations—over some home-brewed coffee, of course.”

View more of Ali ATH’s work here, and learn more about the Artist Protection Fund here.

By: Sophia Paudel, Bard College Berlin Communications

Post Date: 11-07-2024