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 initial mission was “to preserve and regenerate” Afghanistan’s traditional crafts.

Turquoise Mountain taught and employed hundreds of Afghans in producing jewelry, rugs, furniture, ceramics, and calligraphy to be sold on the international market. The foundation also restored some 150 buildings of importance found in a small historical neighborhood in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. The cultural mission of the foundation was to create jobs and develop skills for the Afghan people. Its mission soon expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Myanmar (Burma), and Jordan.

The foundation was funded by others aside from USAID; The British Council (a “soft power” extension of UK foreign policy that offers cultural and educational opportunities), the Qatar Fund for Development (which distributes charitable aid to implement Qatari foreign policy), and Saudi Arabia’s Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, amongst others.

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.

It came to my attention that conservative opinion-maker Michael Knowles, who also hosts his own show at the conservative Daily Wire media platform, has made erroneous comments about Turquoise Mountain and their Marcel Duchamp lecture. Knowles said on his Daily Wire show; “The Turquoise Mountain Foundation exists to teach Afghani peasants about degenerate modern art.”

That allegation is just not true. The mission of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation is not to indoctrinate “Afghani peasants” with “degenerate art,” its mission is the renewal of Afghanistan’s traditional arts and crafts. I’m not defending the USAID, or contemporary anti-art—but a lie is still a lie. The foundation held a single gratuitous lecture on Duchamp. However, there is a better reason for cutting USAID funds to the Turquoise Mountain Foundation… stopping all financial resources from reaching the terrorist Taliban.

In years past the Taliban were in remote areas of Afghanistan fighting US and UK forces and their Afghan allies. By educating Afghans in the making and selling of crafts, Turquoise Mountain was an example of “soft power.” It was hoped the promise of Turquoise Mountain would turn people away from Taliban militants and into the embrace of the democratic West. But with the Taliban now firmly in power, soft power has been flipped. Now it’s solely the Taliban that benefit from the selling of crafts made by Turquoise Mountain.

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.