Statement
Art is not the solution nor it is the conflict but it has the
power to create awareness, build a base for discussion and a starting point for action.
Given that the main strength or expertise of the initiators of Challenging Walls is art/photography, we posses the ability to employ the language of images in telling stories about the lives of the people in the wall challenged nations. The lives that we speak of does not belong solely to people whom we take photographs of but life which we ourselves have lived, experienced and are experiencing as we speak.
In the process of documenting the daily rituals, practices and ways of life, we can share and offer to the greater audiences, the many realities which can be comparably similar or different from one another by providing a view to oneself and that of the other. Visualising life and people through photographs is our way of telling stories and histories of people. Stories that cannot simply be expressed through written or spoken words but can be verified with the moments captured through images.
As artists who have worked extensively in varying cultural environments, we are firm believers that art is a universal language of communication and has the power to open zones that are normally blocked. It has a way of touching and appealing to people's hearts and minds, far stronger that geographical or physical divides.
By saying so, it is not to claim that art is the solution for conflict. However, it is important not to undermine its strengths and instead acknowledge its capacity to create awareness, build a base for discussion and a starting point for action.
We are artists not politicians. We are not interested in defining any political position. We believe in the importance of continued exchange between artists to facilitate communication and understanding through artistic process. When artists cease to speak to each other, it is a reaffirmation of the wall’s existence.
Our intention is to create awareness about the wall-attached societies and find new approaches where there is no communication between individuals, amongst peoples. It cannot be denied that the situation in these areas are generally joint to the politics of the wall, but our efforts to commu¬nicate people stories is not about being political.
CW is not about the wall nor does it wish to speak, represent, defend or take either side. It is about getting in touch and putting people in contact with people, their sensibilities, their values. Introdu¬cing and reintroducing them and to those whom we could reach that there is life beyond the di¬vides. Through this project, we wish to momentarily unmask to so-called enemy on the other side as the neighbour beyond the heights.
We believe in the importance of continued exchange by starting on grass roots efforts with ourselves as artists, to work together with artists from other countries and researchers who have parallel experiences about divided cities brought by concrete physical and mental barriers. When we are able to facilitate communication and understanding in the artistic process, we are confident that can achieve similar results with people-to-people contact by making it known to the public.
We would like the people in Israel/Palestine and those from Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Germany and the rest of the world to know that CW is here to raise questions and continually challenge the ways of thinking about the divisions brought by mental walls that give birth to physical walls.
We believe on focusing on the positive side of peoples as individuals and communities.
Asymmetry exists in definitive and abstract forms regardless of the situation or where one comes from. There is much consciousness about its existence since it has been widely represented and shown in varied forms of media. And it is for this reason that CW wishes to push and show the positive side of life and approach the issue in an alternative way of communicating to people.
As artists, we would like to work together with researchers in finding a balanced approach that will awaken a discussion about the alternative ways of living together in a conflict environment instead of highlight asymmetries that might ignite or aggravate less favourable feelings.
With the photographs taken by photographers coming from the both sides of the conflict areas, we would like to show similarities of people while simultaneously presenting the diversities in the way of seeing and narrating perspectives through the artistic installation.
We would like to engage people in a dialogue. We are not interested in having a monologue or to talk amongst ourselves or against each other. Thus, through activities of CW, we wish to open up a space for the different voices to speak up, be heard, have a conversation and establish a neutral environment.
Given that the main strength or expertise of the initiators of Challenging Walls is art/photography, we posses the ability to employ the language of images in telling stories about the lives of the people in the wall challenged nations. The lives that we speak of does not belong solely to people whom we take photographs of but life which we ourselves have lived, experienced and are experiencing as we speak.
In the process of documenting the daily rituals, practices and ways of life, we can share and offer to the greater audiences, the many realities which can be comparably similar or different from one another by providing a view to oneself and that of the other. Visualising life and people through photographs is our way of telling stories and histories of people. Stories that cannot simply be expressed through written or spoken words but can be verified with the moments captured through images.
As artists who have worked extensively in varying cultural environments, we are firm believers that art is a universal language of communication and has the power to open zones that are normally blocked. It has a way of touching and appealing to people's hearts and minds, far stronger that geographical or physical divides.
By saying so, it is not to claim that art is the solution for conflict. However, it is important not to undermine its strengths and instead acknowledge its capacity to create awareness, build a base for discussion and a starting point for action.
We are artists not politicians. We are not interested in defining any political position. We believe in the importance of continued exchange between artists to facilitate communication and understanding through artistic process. When artists cease to speak to each other, it is a reaffirmation of the wall’s existence.
Our intention is to create awareness about the wall-attached societies and find new approaches where there is no communication between individuals, amongst peoples. It cannot be denied that the situation in these areas are generally joint to the politics of the wall, but our efforts to commu¬nicate people stories is not about being political.
CW is not about the wall nor does it wish to speak, represent, defend or take either side. It is about getting in touch and putting people in contact with people, their sensibilities, their values. Introdu¬cing and reintroducing them and to those whom we could reach that there is life beyond the di¬vides. Through this project, we wish to momentarily unmask to so-called enemy on the other side as the neighbour beyond the heights.
We believe in the importance of continued exchange by starting on grass roots efforts with ourselves as artists, to work together with artists from other countries and researchers who have parallel experiences about divided cities brought by concrete physical and mental barriers. When we are able to facilitate communication and understanding in the artistic process, we are confident that can achieve similar results with people-to-people contact by making it known to the public.
We would like the people in Israel/Palestine and those from Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Germany and the rest of the world to know that CW is here to raise questions and continually challenge the ways of thinking about the divisions brought by mental walls that give birth to physical walls.
We believe on focusing on the positive side of peoples as individuals and communities.
Asymmetry exists in definitive and abstract forms regardless of the situation or where one comes from. There is much consciousness about its existence since it has been widely represented and shown in varied forms of media. And it is for this reason that CW wishes to push and show the positive side of life and approach the issue in an alternative way of communicating to people.
As artists, we would like to work together with researchers in finding a balanced approach that will awaken a discussion about the alternative ways of living together in a conflict environment instead of highlight asymmetries that might ignite or aggravate less favourable feelings.
With the photographs taken by photographers coming from the both sides of the conflict areas, we would like to show similarities of people while simultaneously presenting the diversities in the way of seeing and narrating perspectives through the artistic installation.
We would like to engage people in a dialogue. We are not interested in having a monologue or to talk amongst ourselves or against each other. Thus, through activities of CW, we wish to open up a space for the different voices to speak up, be heard, have a conversation and establish a neutral environment.