Richard Mudariki, a Zimbabwean artist, faced visa denial from the Swiss embassy, preventing him from debuting his Art World Passport project at the Africa Basel art fair. This project invites public participation and documents experiences at art events, addressing challenges faced by artists from the global South in accessing Western institutions. Despite having invitation letters and confirmed accommodations, his visa application was rejected due to alleged doubts about the reliability of his claims. Mudariki is frustrated, marking this as the first travel denial in his 20-year career and noted he wouldn’t receive refunds for his expenses.
"The information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable, leading to reasonable doubts as to the reliability of statements made."
"I had two invitation letters from organizations in Switzerland... This is the first time I've been told I can't travel, and it feels unfair."
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