In the 1930s and 1940s, as fascism engulfed the European continent, Los Angeles became a sanctuary for some of Europe's most celebrated writers, intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers. They included Igor Stravinsky, Thomas Mann, Salka Viertel, Bertolt Brecht, Theodor Adorno, Otto Preminger, Fritz Lang, etc. They were followed in the next decades and over the 20th century by Iranians, Armenians, Vietnamese, and various other diasporas, who came here after fleeing their country and seeking a place of refuge.
In 2019, when Ex-President Trump gave state and local governments the authority to refuse acceptance to refugees, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution that declared the city a “welcome place for refugees”. As we enter the 21st century, authoritarian regimes are more than ever threatening, censoring, and jailing artists, intellectuals, and journalists.
COACOA: City of Angels, City of Asylum aims to continue the Los Angeles history of welcoming dissident voices in troubled times. This multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program welcomes creators and thinkers from around the world who are currently exiled because of their ideas and values, or because of the political situation of their country.
COACOA is a unique, tailor-made residency of one to three months. The program, led by bardoLA’s Director of L.A. Programming, Yann Perreau, welcomes artists from around the world whose work embodies the spirit of creative dissent and expresses their countries’ struggle for democracy and human rights. The residents will stay for a few months at the COACOA residency. The program will also welcome short-term residents when the opportunity arises to have them come here to launch their careers in the United States.
COACOA supports new artistic creation through collaborative exchange. It connects its residents with the Los Angeles community and makes them known in the United States. It also includes, at the end of their residency, a Hat & Beard Press book or catalog publication and a public presentation of their works (exhibition, conference, performances, screening, etc).
Note from Yann Perreau, Director of Los Angeles Programming/COACOA:
“This idea comes from a personal story: my wife, a Turkish filmmaker, cannot return to live in her country as she openly criticized her government in the media. But she got the Green Card through the lottery, and Los Angeles has become our new home.”
