When ancient Greek historian Herodotus famously stated, “In peace, sons bury fathers; but in war, fathers bury their sons”, it perfectly defined what a conflict does to those who are left behind to rebuild life and what’s left of it from the rubble. We may have come a long way with our modes of combat, but eventually, a war is a war, and it affects generations to come. Hostilities simply do not vanish with a ceasefire. The wounds run deep enough to write histories.
Peace has always been a precious commodity for humankind. It is perhaps the fragility of it that makes it so. Which is why the world today, more than any other time, needs the gentle, sane touch of art. Here’s how art can be a catalyst for peace:
FOSTERING THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION
It has been said that fear survives only until the moment you confront it. It is the same with hate and prejudice. The origins of hate often stem from conditioning and indoctrination, which happen to most of us in some form as we make our way through the world. Many times, all it takes is for us to come out of that cocoon of bias, try to understand the object of our loathing, and watch as resentment gives way to acceptance.
Art collaborations serve that purpose perfectly. Unlike areas like sports, where the spirit of competition and patriotism do not allow one to approve of the opposing team, any art project between nations is devoid of winners and losers. The Peaceworks Program by the Seagulls Foundation for the Arts works towards fostering mutual respect and friendship by using art and culture as a tool.
The program essentially works with young people, especially children, from varied backgrounds, by bringing them together through projects that help in creating sensitivity towards different perspectives. Peaceworks has worked for almost a decade now with school children in both Kashmir and Pakistan, designing projects that create a platform for them to collaborate and work in unity, thus building cross-cultural bridges that aid in not just accepting differences but also respecting them.
CREATING ART IN HOSTILE TERRITORY
Artists from nations with political tensions or those in conflict with each other have also collaborated, thus promoting peace through incredibly powerful artworks produced together. For instance, several collaborations have happened between artists from Israel and Palestine, despite their years of animosity. One of the projects included two artists from either side, painting portraits of the other’s family members. The Jewish artists and the Muslim artists find this exercise to be healing in every sense, for drawing
a portrait is not just a study of skin and bones for any artist; it is also, unknowingly, a study of personality. The gradual awareness that, ultimately, we are all the same and that we all exist under the same blue sky, on lands fenced off as territories, is the most positive outcome of such collaborations.
When Indian artist Shilpa Gupta and Pakistani artist Huma Mulji conceptualised a show, it was not just fuelled by their friendship but also by their urge to contribute towards creating an environment of social solidarity.
The project took place from 2000 to 2004, and over time, included the participation of other Indian and Pakistani artists too.
It comprised three phases — the first was an exchange of physical artworks between the countries. The second exchange was digital, and the emailed artworks were mass printed in the country that received them. The final phase involved videos that were projected in public spaces in India and Pakistan.
Without the confines of a gallery space, these publicly exhibited artworks could be accessed by the general public, thus permitting the message of unity to trickle down to the masses.
The project did have its share of issues to face, too. Pakistani artist Roohi Ahmed’s work had to be returned to Karachi as the Mumbai locals rejected it. At the centre of the composition was a map of the subcontinent with a text in Urdu that had the alphabets H for Hindu and M for Muslim, which together spelt ‘Hum’. Hum denotes ‘us’ in both Hindi and Urdu.
STREET ART FOR PEACE
Any street art initiative cannot exclude local communities, which is precisely why it is considered very impactful. Operation SALAM, got together ex-fighters and people from diverse communities to paint the word Salam or Peace on the rooftops of houses in Lebanon, one of the most war-torn countries in the world. The area of Tripoli was chosen as it had already seen too much war. Every household had a gruesome story of war to recount, and the act of involving them in the project to paint messages of peace nurtured a bond and a feeling of pride within them.
Murals like the Mandela Wall in Cape Town, South Africa, also strengthen the idea of sharing a purpose, as all street art involves active participation by the community members. No matter the
consequences of any war — displacement, destruction, and human suffering, there will always be the hope for peace.
Art is the voice of hope for a better world where peace prevails. Make art, not war — Bob and Roberta Smith.