Sada (for Contemporary Iraqi Art) was founded in 2011 by the Baghdad-born Rijin Sahakian. Sahakian set up the initiative, which ran until 2015, to support Baghdad-based artists facing the damage done to the contemporary art infrastructure in Iraq after cycles of war, destruction, sanctions, and continual political insecurity. This non-profit project included arts education, advocacy, and production programs serving Baghdad-based artists
Rijin Sahakian is a writer and arts organizer with an MA in Cultural Policy from New York University. She has conducted seminars and programs at arts and education spaces in the US and abroad and has contributed writing to a range of artist projects and publications.