It’s World Art Day. April 15th is the birthday of one of the most remarkable artists in history - Leonardo da Vinci (yes, the Mona Lisa man!). And what better date to celebrate the impact of art in our lives and the contribution of artists? In these volatile times that we live in, where global political situations espouse hate founded on our differences, and nations go to war while wiping out human lives mercilessly, art has a bigger role to play in healing wounds and uniting the human race. Here’s a look at artists and art organisations who have been striving to create a culture of peace amid our troubled times.
ONE FOR THE WORLD
ART for The World, a non-governmental organisation associated with the United Nations, is on a mission to encourage solidarity and tolerance through the universal language of art. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it was founded in 1995 by Swiss curator Adelina von Fürstenberg, to promote the essence of human rights by collaborating with the artist community. The organisation holds curated art exhibitions in unconventional spaces like historical monuments, monasteries, stadiums, madrasas, islands, and many other sites that are not part of the traditional art circuit. One of its important exhibitions titled Meditations, was held in 1997, and featured several renowned international artists, including Indian artist Anish Kapoor. The 1998 travelling exhibition, The Edge of Awareness, crossed the shores to New Delhi. In 2000, a project aptly called Playgrounds and Toys, built playgrounds innovatively designed by artists for refugee children in India, Armenia, and the United Kingdom. In the decades since its existence, ART for The World has embarked on various projects that used art to address issues like health, women empowerment and many such. AFTW has also produced films to call attention to the links that bind the nations of the world both historically and culturally, sending out a loud message of oneness that is needed today.
THE COLOURS OF PEACE IN AFRICA
Presidential elections in Kenya have often been controversial and violent. Looting of property, arson, and murders have often been the norm, especially post election. Given these complexities and the fragility of such situations, artists in the region have adopted clever tools and tactics to build peace once again. With slums being the most vulnerable areas, here’s how artist Soloman Muyundo did his bit. When the Orange Democratic Movement lost its stronghold of Kibera in the elections, the residents protested and resorted to rioting. The artist, at first, painted the symbol of the party on most public walls which served as a deterrent. Later, armed with his paints and brushes, he wrote messages like ‘Peace Wanted Alive‘ and ‘Keep Peace’ everywhere, which had a tremendous persuasive power when all negotiations failed. Although the violence ended with the formation of a coalition movement, many parts of Kenya were in ruins and the people were traumatised. A group of artists decided then, to make a museum out of the debris so that it could transform into a space of healing for the children. The project was initiated in February 2008 and went on for a few weeks, when the affected young ones were given art materials to express themselves through painting. What began as a dark recollection of their painful memories of the destruction, soon progressed to visions of how they wished the future to be. The project ended with hope filling the hearts that once held wounds.
CONFRONTING WAR
Children who have lived through wars often bear the deep scars of the bloodshed they have witnessed, for their entire lifetimes. War Toys, a non-profit organisation, uses art to help these children cope emotionally. Trauma sometimes makes it difficult for children to express their anguish verbally. Non-verbal art therapy thus allows them to share their stories of unimaginable horror and communicate their experiences. War Toys has also introduced educational initiatives like ensuring conversations around war in fun ways. The voices of these children have been further amplified by collaborating with artists, designers, and photographers to produce artworks that would reach a global audience. The organisation has meaningfully worked with hundreds of children who have been affected by war in conflict-torn regions like Iraq, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip.
JOINING HANDS AS ONE
Celebrating diversity is at the core of the Global Art Project for Peace and this is how they do it — participants who submit their works of art on the subject of world peace and goodwill are featured in an art exhibition in their local community. The Global Art Project later matches the participants for an international exchange, either group to group or individual to individual. Their artworks are sent to the chosen receiver, thereby leading to simultaneous exchanges of visual messages of peace from diverse cultures all around the world. The receiving community also exhibits the artworks, thus allowing people to understand that love and friendship are a universal longing. Nominated for the UNESCO prize, this project has so far involved participants from 95 countries!
As we despair that the world and the values that we hold onto dearly are crumbling with each passing day, it is heartening indeed to know that art will always provide that silver lining of hope to surmount the darkest cloud.