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The exhibition at Olympia Sept. 2 - 6, 2015

Kids' Guernica – Guernica Youth

       

        Entry to International Olympic Academy

The small exhibition in Olympia, in conjunction with the Symposium "The need of a constructive dialogue", came about thanks to Spyros Mercouris who has been most supportive of Kids' Guernica. He came across the murals painted by children by attending the first exhibition organized by Poiein kai Prattein in Kastelli, Crete. Ever since, Spyros Mercouris has said that Picasso, the giant in painting, has been followed by little giants:

 KIDS’ GUERNICA- Τα παιδιά της Guernica

Η μη κυβερνητική οργάνωση ΠΟΙΕΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΑΤΤΕΙΝ “CreateandDo” που είναι «Δημιούργησε και Δράσε», εμπλουτίζει το συμπόσιό μας με μια έκθεση της “Guernica” και με ένα μικρό φιλμ . Η βασική ιδέα είναι οτι παιδιά και νέοι ζωγραφίζουν μια τοιχογραφία σε καμβά με το ίδιο μέγεθος του πίνακα Guernica του Picasso.

Ο Picasso είναι ένας γίγας. Γίγας της τέχνης αλλά και της σκέψης και του στοχασμού. Μπορούσε με το πινέλο του να ζωγραφίσει στον καμβά όλα τα καλλιτεχνικά και πολιτικά του αισθήματα. Αγάπη, ζωή, φόβος, θάνατος και βαρβαρότητα. Η Guernica του Picasso έγινε σύμβολο της φρίκης του πολέμου. Παιδιά και νέοι είναι και αυτοί μικροί γίγαντες της τέχνης. Ζωγραφίζουν αυθόρμητα ότι αισθάνονται χωρίς προκατάληψη και φόβο απο διάφορες εξωτερικές επιρροές. Η φαντασία των παιδιών και των νέων είναι πηγαία. Ονειρεύονται. Εχουν οράματα. Αισθάνονται και ζούνε έντονα τον πόνο και τη χαρά. Το χέρι τους τρέχει ελεύθερο να ζωγραφίσει την αλήθειά τους. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι φανταστικό. Γεμάτο χρώμα και έκφραση. Παιδιά απο τη Σμύρνη, Τουρκία και Χίο, Ελλάδα ζωγράφισαν μαζί. Δεν θέλουν πόλεμο, θέλουν ειρήνη.

Ο διάλογος μεταξύ πολιτισμών ξεκινάει με τα παιδιά.

Σπύρος Μερκούρης

15.8.2015

 Athens 15.8.2015

 

The non-governmental organization, Poiein Kai Prattein “Create and Do” enriches the symposium with the exhibition “Kid’s Guernica - Guernica Youth”. The basic idea is that children paint a peace mural on a canvas the same size as Picasso’s Guernica. Picasso is a giant. Giant of the arts but also a giant of thought. He could with a brush put on canvas all his artistic and political sentiments. Love, life, fear, death and barbarism. Guernica has become a symbol of the horror of war. Children and young people are also small giants of art. They paint spontaneously what they feel without being intimidated by various outside influences. The imagination of children and of young people is fresh. They feel and live intensely pain and joy. Their hand runs freely to paint their truth. The result is fantastic. Full of colour and of expression. Children from Izmir, Turkey and Chios, Greece painted together. They do not want war, they want peace. The dialogue between cultures starts with children.

Spyros Mercouris

 

Spyros Mercouris with children at exhibition in Zappeion, Athens 2007

                

The two murals shown: "Enough! We want to live" and the Chios-Izmir

The first mural came about in Tripoli, Lebanon immediately after the war between Israeli Defence Forces and Hezbollah ended in 2005 and the country entered a precarious state of affairs in 2006. The mural has the significant title: „Enough! We want to live“. It sounds like a revolt, and certainly is meant to assert and to ascertain again the cultural vitality Lebanon is known for. The war in 2005 came at a most unfortunate time. Especially Beirut had emerged after periods of utmost destruction out of this negative phase and was on the way of an economic recovery. That summer in 2005 was expected to be for the first time a boom in terms of tourist arrivals. The war crossed that out and threw Lebanon once more back into a wild chaos in which fear dominates over confidence in the future.

 

                    

                   "Enough! We want to live" in Chios exhibition 2007

In view of what was once a lively culture in Lebanon, now tormented by war and political impasses or conflicts, it is not surprising to see in the mural many frightened faces, and alongside tear drops falling into a glass jar.

Iman Nouri-Mourad, coordinator of that action, stated that "we live in a schizophrenia of peace." For teenagers would return from surfing, and then for a music bar. Hardly there, there would go off on the other side of the street heavy bomb blasts. Such is the condition of a civil war like situation that death can strike anywhere, anytime and hit especially innocent people. Thus to apply the term "schizophrenia" is most apt to characterize such a situation. In the mural this is exemplified by the central figure being 'half alive, half dead!'

                               

                             "Schizophrenia of peace" - detail of Lebanon mural


         The Izmir-Chios mural was created as well in the same year of 2007.

          

 

 

Olympia

Both these murals were shown in Olympia, and this in conjunction with the Symposium "The need of a constructive dialogue", 1 -7 Sept. 2015

 

  

  Alexia, Spyros an Pyrrhus Mercouris and Hatto Fischer

 

                

                 Image of mural "Enough! We want to live" from behind

 

The possible connection to the Delphi Youth Games in Goa, India 2016

Hatto Fischer speaking with Christian Kirsch (second from the Right)

- see The International Delphic Games - Christian Kirsch


                 

                  Hatto Fischer and Sarika Baheti 

                 - see her presentation at Thematic Circle C: Olympism and Culture                                 

  

   The Izmir-Chios mural from behind

   

 

 

The structure of dialogue within Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth

These peace murals stand for a special dialogue since they use the imagination to foster empathy for the other.

                

                 Jad Salman with children in Picasso's atelier in Paris 2009

Jad Salman, artist from Palestine, would say that this is made possible by children and youth who express themselves among many other things joy in such simple terms, that adults need to overcome the risk to overlook them because they appear simple and therefore not to understand the depth of their longing for peace.

Especially in a digital age, when other images dominate and literacy more often being lost than gained through the Internet, this understanding of peace as requiring the imagination so as to have empathy for the other, that is needed more than ever.

 

Hatto Fischer

Olympia 1.9.2015

 

 

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