7–9 September 2026 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
We are pleased to announce “Blooming Afghanistan: Art Resists – Hope Blooms,” a three-day art exhibition bringing together Afghan artistic expression, lived experiences, and messages of resilience and hope.
Taking place from 7 to 9 September 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the exhibition will provide a space for Afghan artists and communities to express their experiences, aspirations, and hopes for a peaceful, inclusive, and rights-respecting Afghanistan.
At a time when Afghan women, girls, artists, journalists, human rights defenders, and other communities continue to face severe restrictions and exclusion, art remains a powerful form of expression and peaceful resistance. Through paintings and interactive artistic activities, Blooming Afghanistan seeks to amplify voices that are often silenced and demonstrate that creativity, dignity, and hope continue to flourish.
Exhibition Highlights
📅 Dates: 7–9 September 2026
📍 Venue: Palais des Nations, Building A, Salle des Pas Perdus, Geneva
🎨 Launch Event: 7 September 2026 at 13:00
🖌️ Daily Interactive Painting Sessions: 13:00–15:00
The interactive sessions will invite participants and visitors to engage with art and contribute to a collective space of reflection, solidarity, and hope.
Art as Resistance, Hope as a Future
Blooming Afghanistan is more than an art exhibition. It is an invitation to listen, reflect, and stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan. It highlights the power of art to preserve identity, document experiences, challenge silence, and imagine a future where every person can live with freedom, equality, and dignity.
We welcome representatives of civil society, diplomats, human rights advocates, artists, researchers, members of the Afghan community, and all those committed to human rights and peace to join us in Geneva.
Art resists. Hope blooms. Afghanistan continues to speak.
Organisers
OMCT – SOS-Torture Network | Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) | AHRDO | Artistic Initiative for Freedom | Action for Development | Embassy & Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva | Swiss Confederation
Partners
Centre for Development and Peace – Geneva (CDP-G) | Center for Human Rights Advocacy | Dialogue Hub for Common Ground | Forum-Asia | ADDO | Spoken Museum
