Overview

The Hidden Statement project represents a groundbreaking digital sanctuary for Afghan artists facing unprecedented oppression under Taliban rule. Launched in May 2023, this innovative initiative creates virtual exhibitions that preserve and showcase artworks at risk of destruction, transforming digital archiving into a powerful act of cultural resistance. Led by the Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden in collaboration with multiple European cultural institutions, the project has established a secure technological infrastructure that enables artists to upload their work remotely, ensuring both their safety and the preservation of Afghanistan’s artistic heritage.

The project’s technological innovation centers on Walter’s Cube’s digital twin technology, which recreates the Kunstverein’s exhibition space as a virtual 3D environment. This allows for immersive online exhibitions that can showcase artwork without physically endangering the artists. Through a sophisticated digital infrastructure, Afghan artists working through illegal internet connections could carefully document their creations and transmit them to a protected server, with coordination provided by an Afghan artist already residing in Germany.

After dozens of artists had uploaded their works in jpg format, the Wiesbaden Kunstverein, the Kunsthochschule Weißensee, Berlin and the Walter’s Cube team organized a two-day workshop in Berlin with German art students and Afghan expatriate artists already living in Europe to teach the participants of the art/solidarity project how to use the vCurator software and to create the first virtual exhibitions in the digital twin space of the Kunstverein. On the first day of the workshop, after a short theoretical introduction to virtual curating as a new curatorial practice, they were introduced to the basic functions of the software, learned the basic skills necessary to use it, and started to apply the vCurator software in practice by curating virtual solo exhibitions for the selected artist. By the second day of the workshop, the virtual curating process had been implemented in finished exhibitions, and the finished virtual exhibitions were collectively evaluated and analyzed for the aesthetic and technological aspects of each installation solution.

The significance of Hidden Statement extends far beyond art preservation. Under the Taliban’s severe restrictions on artistic expression—particularly the complete ban on artistic representations of living beings—each preserved artwork becomes an act of defiance. The project provides a platform for Afghan artists to continue expressing themselves under extreme restrictions, ensuring that their creative voices cannot be completely silenced by oppressive regimes.

By the end of 2024, the project had uploaded over 40 virtual exhibitions, with an ambitious plan to ultimately feature 150 artists. The initiative’s impact was quickly recognized by the cultural community, with Monopol magazine ranking it among the top 100 cultural achievements of 2023 (ranked 45th), and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) deeming it the most influential cultural solidarity project of the year.

The project was also presented at the Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere themed Venice Biennale in 2024 through logistical co-operation with German Study Center Venice, the German Academy Rome Villa Massimo, AFI – Artistic Freedom Initiative New York, the German Embassy Rome, the Goethe Institute Rome and Sadam Zadrar, Berlin.

Through technological innovation and international collaboration, Hidden Statement has created a digital archive that protects not just individual artworks, but an entire nation’s creative spirit, demonstrating how digital technology can serve as a lifeline for artistic expression under authoritarian rule.

Key Features

Secure digital upload system protecting artist identities
Virtual 3D exhibition spaces using digital twin technology
Collaborative curation by German art students and Afghan expatriate artists
vCurator software for professional exhibition design
Real-time virtual interactions through avatar technology

Project Goals

Preserve Afghan artworks at risk of destruction under Taliban rule
Provide a safe platform for artistic expression under oppressive conditions
Create an international network of cultural solidarity
Document and archive Afghanistan’s contemporary art scene
Enable global access to Afghan artistic voices

Digital Innovation

The project’s technological breakthrough lies in its comprehensive approach to secure art preservation. Walter’s Cube’s digital twin technology creates precise 3D replicas of exhibition spaces, enabling:

Immersive virtual exhibitions accessible worldwide
Professional curatorial environments without physical constraints
Safe documentation and transmission of artwork from conflict zones
Collaborative exhibition planning between international partners
Avatar-based interactions connecting artists with global audiences

Cultural Impact

Hidden Statement has transformed individual survival strategies into collective cultural resistance. The project demonstrates how digital technology can overcome physical and political barriers, creating pathways for artistic survival, professional development, and potential international mobility for Afghan artists. Each virtual exhibition serves as official documentation of professional artistic practice, potentially strengthening artists’ credentials for future international opportunities.

The project’s recognition by prestigious cultural publications and its ranking among top cultural achievements of 2023 elevates these artists’ global visibility, transforming a preservation initiative into a sophisticated mechanism of cultural diplomacy and artistic empowerment.