Turquoise Mountain, Duchamp, & the USAID.

Some years ago under the auspices of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Afghanistan, an art teacher from the UK lectured bewildered Afghan women on a conceptual artwork by Marcel Duchamp… a porcelain urinal he titled “Fountain.” The foundation was funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The scene was captured in “Bitter Lake,” a documentary film about Afghanistan made in 2015 by UK filmmaker Adam Curtis.

Yes, I said the foundation was funded by USAID. President Trump took the advice of advisor Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) and began the cessation of operations conducted by the US Agency for International Development. As a result, the USAID contract with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation was cancelled and the foundation lost $1 MILLION dollars in USAID funding.

The spectacle of the UK teacher instructing Afghan women on Western postmodern art evokes colonial arrogance. It also illustrates how the US, its UK partner, and NATO failed in the attempt to shape Afghanistan into a Western style democracy. While the “educator” preached about a toilet being a significant achievement in the art and culture of the West, the look on the faces of the young Afghan women tells you why the mission in Afghanistan was doomed.

The Turquoise Mountain Foundation was co-founded in 2006 by UK Tory politician Rory Stewart. His wife Shoshana Stewart became the chief executive of the foundation in 2006 and president in 2022. The foundation’s mission was supposedly “to preserve and regenerate” Afghanistan’s traditional crafts.

While the official website of the USAID is now defunct because of the Trump shutdown, an archival site lists USAID funding to Turquoise Mountain from 2008 to 2015 at $10.5 million—that’s before the Taliban militarily seized power on Aug. 16, 2021.

Evidently USAID funding continued once the jihadist Taliban took control by force. Mr. Stewart said on his The Rest is Politics podcast in Feb of 2025; “Turquoise Mountain, which my wife runs, had a contract and had another million dollars to go and the money just stops.” So perhaps USAID funding for Turquoise Mountain—courtesy of the American taxpayer, was at least $12.5 million.

Now that the Taliban religious fanatics once again rule the country, not a single nation in the world has recognized their regime. They’ve been condemned for denying human rights for women and girls, forbidding women an education and banning their right to employment. The Taliban are also providing a base of operations for al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. I honestly can’t see how the Turquoise Mountain Foundation can play a positive role in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It’s akin to funding arts and craft classes in the middle of Nazi Germany.

As far as USAID funding the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in order to inspire the people of Afghanistan to trust and have confidence in the American government… that ship has already sailed.

The video of the Turquoise Mountain Marcel Duchamp lecture, makes it clear that the West lost its way in Afghanistan. It can also be said that the West undoubtedly became uncertain about itself on the home front. Duchamp’s urinal was thrust upon the world 108 years ago at a New York City art exhibition, and ever since… art world gate keepers pretend it was akin to a messianic event.

Truth be told, the young Afghan woman shaking her head in disbelief over Duchamp’s toilet bowl, well… she speaks for all of us.