spiritual vs religious, art and humanities
Our New Art Project is called “The dialogue for world peace”. The work was finished January 2011 and currently installed in San Miguel Allende, Purgala Gallery , Instituto, till Sept 28th The exhibition “The Dialogue” is an exhibit of images designed as a wall that represents 5,000 years of belief systems from around the world.
I want to explain in a bit more detail why I chose to create a wall. The very fact that it is called a wall for peace implies there is something behind “it” or something “it” protects or some way “it” separates or contains. I want the installation to provoke the viewer to react to the idea of a wall, powerful images on a wall, as well as a spiritual space defined by a wall. In the iconostasis of the Orthodox Church, as well as the area where the torah in the Jewish synagogue is stored are sacred spaces that are not open to the public and until recently, certainly not to women. Ask yourself what are we protecting with our sacred images, rituals and mission statements. Are the edicts that are in place protecting our scared image valuable and honest and to what end?
If you do dialogue with someone, then the work has been a success.
This New Art Project for Peace invites the viewer to become acquainted with the fascinating world of spiritual imagery and to understand its hidden message, and the relevance it has for our contemporary society. The Art project is meant to make us uncomfortable when we see Buddha next to Christ and Mohammad next to Confucius. Are we brave enough to ask ourselves if we have any prejudice? Is our certitude of belief allowed to exist next someone else’s belief or are we going to argue and defend who is right, better or best. Perhaps we know nothing about several of these images and cultures, does that make them any less real or important?
I recognize I am asking lots of questions here, many of them I struggled with as I worked on the New Art Project for Peace. I am interested in feedback from all of you or perhaps you will Dialogue with someone about the idea. If you do, well then, this has work has been a success.
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