Seventy-five years after the creation of the United Nations, breathtaking technological advances and a tightly interconnected world call for new approaches for engaging more people than ever in a discussion of what peace means concretely to different communities and how we all can work to achieve it. The United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), through its Innovation Cell, recently partnered with Artivive, a technology company that specializes in augmented reality art, to ask a range of artists from around the globe to create posters about peacemaking and peacebuilding, utilizing augmented reality (AR) technology.
The leading themes were “Futuring Peace”, “Bringing together those who have been fighting,” and “Creating a bridge across peoples in conflict zones”. Artists were invited to interpret and present their own vision of what peace means. An international jury comprised of UN representatives, the private sector, and artists selected 10 of the posters to be displayed for one year in the main UN Secretariat Building in New York.The works will also be displayed online on the Artivive website and by other media partners.
To get the full AR experience of the art works presented below, please download the Artivive app (Android/iPhone), open it and hold your phone up to your screen, pointing at the posters.
PEACE
“The colors used in the artwork were inspired by the LGBTQ rainbow flag. As these colors reflect the diversity of the community, I believe in the same way, the colors in the artwork represent the diversity of the human race. There should not be a separation between humans in respect of race, ethnicity, creed and sexual orientation as represented in the holding of hands. The circle represents the earth as well as encompassing it and holding it together. The center animation represents humans coming together and working towards peace. Although as a whole, as reflected in the artwork itself, the symbol does not resemble the traditional ‘Dove’ peace symbol ☮, or the ‘V sign’ ✌hand symbol, it is my interpretation of both symbols.”
Artist: Benjamin Mitchley
Country: South Africa
Benjamin Mitchley is a South African fine artist, born on 1 January 1967. He studied fine arts from 1985 to 1987 at the Vaal University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology. He is a full-time freelance fine artist, scenic artist, illustrator, 2D digital animator, poet and writer. Since 2003, he has exhibited his work in South Africa. His first international art exhibition was in Munich and Hof, in Germany during 2005 and 2006. From 2004 through to 2016, Mr. Mitchley furthered his scenic experience while working in Dubai and South Africa on several industrial, film and television scenic art projects. As a self-taught animator, he has received recognition for a short film created for a SABC documentary and animation collaboration projects for corporation infographics. In 2013, he received a first-place award for a medical animation competition for the Iheed institute. Poetry and writing developed from his fine art, illustration and animation creations, in the form of comic books and animated poems. In 2019, with the introduction of augmented reality to his artwork linked to the Artivive App, this medium has taken him on a new journey with exhibition invitations to showcase these Artivive artworks as well as workshops on creating augmented reality artworks for the Artivive App. It has allowed his participation in the 5th Ranetas VR Fest in Alcaniz, Spain and Comic Con Africa and collaboration projects with Artivive.
His search for new ideas and experimentation with new techniques, styles and media is ongoing.
Links: facebook.com/SouthAfricanArtist, Website, Artivive AR Print Catalogue, South Africa Artists Online Gallery, Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook Page, YouTube Channel
PEACE BUILDER
In our imagination, this bird became not just a peacemaker, but also a builder of a new world. A world without violence, war, and aggression. We support the idea that we don’t have to wait for some miracle, that conscious human beings can become the «doves» — a fragile creature that can start The Change. Small steps create a Big World without war. Our designer Dmytro Dziuba came up with the idea to rethink the ancient symbol of the dove.
Artists: Aztec Animation (Dmytro Dziuba, Tatiana Kartashova and Elena Ushakova)
Country: Ukraine
Dmytro Dziuba, Tatiana Kartashova and Elena Ushakova make up the motion design studio and school of animation “Aztec Animation”, based in Kiev, Ukraine. They create commercial and creative animation and motion design for business, festivals and individuals. Aztec Animation also conducts workshops and lessons online and offline for anyone interested in the origins of quality animation and the latest trends.
Links: a-ztec.com.ua, https://www.instagram.com/aztecanimation
UNITE FOR PEACE
In my artwork, I used the women in diversity united in fighting for peace, since women and children usually fall victim to wars and conflict. I’ve always been very passionate about world peace since I was small. Whether it is people in other countries, people in the past, or other sentient beings suffering from it. I feel pain in my heart as if it is my own. Compassion is a powerful path for peace. I believe we can prevent war with arms control, diplomacy, sympathize with others and see conflict’s roots with a broad perspective. I wanted my poster to convey the powerful yet compassionate united power.
We see through the pandemic, the whole world is going through the same crisis, yet the world is becoming more divided, and it’s bringing the best and worst out of us. While racism and hate crimes rise, some are risking their lives to protect others and fight for equality. As an artist, I had the urge to inspire others to work in peace and harmony. It’s not the problems of one country nor one race. We are all connected, and therefore, we all have to work together to achieve peace.
Artist: Kaori Hamura Long
Country: Japan
Kaori Hamura Long is an artist based in Japan and the US. Her artworks have been showcased in many different media, from painting, illustration, animation to product design. Her clients include Nickelodeon, MTV Networks, Oxygen Media, Google, Costco, Homegoods, Time Out New York, New York Press, Interviews, Mademoiselle, Cosmo Girl!, Boston Weekly Dig, Anna Sui, etc. She has won a Silver Award for The Society of Illustrators’ Annual Awards in Los Angeles. Kaori’s paintings have been exhibited at many galleries from New York to Tokyo.
Link: kaorihamura.com
COEXIST
Living in the country dealing with the ‘Israeli/Palestinian’ conflict, the people on both sides are faced with the opportunity to unite for one purpose – Peace. It is no coincidence that the etymology of the word ‘peace’ in both Arabic and Hebrew are so similar. I believe that this is a clear symbolism for a brighter, serene connection between our two beautiful nations, a sign of hope and coexistence. One in which beyond the differences that we may have, we can strive to learn about one another and connect with each other, ultimately finding out that we may share more than we realize at first glance. I would like to share that the making of this piece for me was a personal journey of my own. After noticing, by chance, the striking similarities between the word Peace in Arabic and Hebrew one day, I set out to find a way to combine the words into one. But as someone who doesn’t read or speak Arabic, it required me to immerse myself into researching and studying the Arabic letters, as well as reaching out to Palestinian friends and colleagues, to make sure that the design would be accurate. Through this process of connecting and learning, I had been given a chance to expand my own sensitivity towards the Palestinian nation and the things that we share, thus starting my own personal bridge to a life of peace and coexistence.
Artist: Daniel Sasson
Country: Israel
Daniel Sasson is 29 years old and lives in Israel with his wife and two children. He was born in the United States and moved to Israel with his family when he was 12. He currently works as a social worker in Jerusalem, offering support and care for at-risk teens and young adults of all religions and backgrounds. From a young age, he always had a passion for art and illustration. It was his vision to create art that inspires peace and understanding, within ourselves, with those around us and with humanity as a whole.
Link: instagram.com/livingletterart
WE DRAW THE LINE AT WAR
We have considered the theme ‘futuring peace’, the transition from conflict and suffering to stability and security. To us, the United Nations draws the line at war and represents moving forward to a place of peace. This typographic poster shows the invisible line the UN negotiates between these two states. Our Artivive AR piece encourages participation, and the viewer must navigate between two potential futures.
Artists: Fin Belcher (Developer, animator and 3D designer), Chris Wharton (Illustrator, art director), Kate Pasterfield (Creative producer)
Country: United Kingdom
Chris Wharton is a professional illustrator with over 12 years commercial experience working with clients from the Washington Post to Random House Publishing. Fin Belcher is a multimedia developer with over 10 years’ experience delivering complex media projects to global clients. Kate Pasterfield is a creative producer working in digital XR, leading commercial projects for international clients for over 10 years.
Links: instagram.com/designbywharton; instagram.com/fd_pixels
…AND YOU
Peace will always be with you. And it provides a sense of space to feel it metaphorically.
The first thing that came to my mind about the subject of peace was Mahatma Gandhi’s “There is no ‘way to peace’ there is only ‘peace’”.
Many people want peace, but I don’t think our society, or even the world, has ever been peaceful. It may be because you don’t know what peace you want, or because you don’t know what to do to be peaceful. The peace that an individual or group wants comes from different aspects. Different perceptions and interests of peace breed conflict, and such conflicts sometimes turn into violence. I affirm that peace is defined, needed, and understood by individuals or groups, and I wanted to build it in harmony, peace is peace.
Artist: Jae Heum Kim
Country: South Korea
Jae Heum Kim is a student of space design at a graduate school in Korea.
Link: instagram.com/hmmkim
PEACE
We started by focusing on what peace means to the average person. We concluded that only peace can potentially make people happy by providing security and progress. To achieve peace, dialogue and compromise are essential. Hands have always been a useful and effective means of human communication. They display a range of feelings from acceptance and pleasure to anger and insult. The clenched fist is universally a sign of anger and conflict. An open hand is a welcoming, relaxed and peaceful sign of trust. The human hand can therefore symbolize and illustrate the transformation from conflict and fear to peace and security.
Artists: Olga Szulc & Boleslav Ryzinski (designer)
Country: Poland, USA
Boleslaw Ryzinski (Bolek) was born in 1952 in Miedzyzdroje, on the Polish island of Wolin on the Baltic Sea. In 1977, he earned a Masters degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Szczecin, Poland. He went on to study industrial design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, from where he graduated in 1980. The same year he emigrated to the United States. He worked as a designer in Skidmore, Ownings and Merrill Architects, New York, before starting his own architectural practice in 1984. His firm completed over 100 residential and commercial architectural projects in the tri-state area. His artistic work includes painting, sculpture and photography in the United States and Poland.
Olga Szulc was born in 1974 in Szczecin, Poland. She studied at The Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland, and earned a Master’s Degree in Interior Design as well as Stage Design. Olga works primarily as a painter and graphic artist, though her favorite medium of work is collage. Passionate about the possibilities collage art offers, Olga explains, “its dynamics allows me to break elements from their contexts and insert them to the new reality. It is a new and surprising reality that makes the creative process so exciting like discovering new unseen before land.
Olga’s father was Bolek’s best friend in Architectural School. Ten years ago, they started to collaborate on design and art. They share basic ideas regarding approach to design and creative thinking.
Links: olgaszulc.com/ and www.bolekryzinski.com
OXYGENATE PEACE
Under the theme of ‘Futuring Peace’, I wanted to explore the duality between the future conservation and growth of peace and the increasing need to nurture and protect our planet’s ecosystems. We often tiptoe on a fine line between creation and destruction, life and death. I think it’s more important than ever to simultaneously work on peacebuilding and greener environmental structures to support and sustain generations to come.
Invisible pollution has become entwined with us and nature and pollution grow each year, with increased demand and technology use. Our environment is a delicate equilibrium and as we continue to ‘borrow’ from our environment what is left in its place. As a contemporary female artist, I work hard to challenge perceptions and build a conversation between forgotten parts of ourselves and the perpetual rhythm and anxiety that is often found within today’s society. I want ‘Oxygenate Peace’ to explore a united sustainable future: OXYGENATE PEACE Oxygenate the earth with hope and peace. You no longer stand alone, cherish life together in the meadow we created.
Artist: Claire Luxton
Country: United Kingdom
Claire Luxton is a UK based multi-disciplinary artist working with photography, painting, poetry and installation. After receiving an BFA from Goldsmiths University of London, Luxton created a challenging series of self-portraits, pushing her emotional and physical boundaries by becoming both the subject matter and the materiality. The ominous undercurrents of her work oscillate between constructed femininity and alluring vulnerability, seducing the viewer with intrigue and uncertainty. Luxton’s work draws on both the modern anxiety of society and the environment; each portrait, painting and accompanying poetry, becoming an exploration of isolation, desire and uncertainty. In 2015 Luxton’s exploration of human fragility, physicality and the female form culminated in her first solo exhibition Avalon. This was followed by her second solo exhibition BOTANICA in 2017. The artist’s work has been shown in London, Miami and Singapore, including exhibits at The London Art Fair and Art Basel. Luxton has collaborated with brands from Adobe to McQueens and created bespoke artworks for clients such as The Birmingham Royal Ballet and Westminster Council. Luxton’s work has also been in both Glamour Italia and Germany and is represent by MTArt Agency.
Link: claireluxtonart.com
TIME FOR PEACE
The poster shows two sides who were once face to face in war, but who now stand together, in peace. The two faces coming together creates an hourglass signifying time. Peace has transformed the previously grave area (weapons of war) in between the two sides, into one full of hope, opportunity and growth (the tree of life). All achieved with the help of UN mediation or through actions of third parties with UN support.
Artist: Colin Foo
Country: UK
Colin Foo is a graphic designer who strongly believes that design can play an important role in spreading a message of peace and tolerance and help make this world a better/safer place for all. He works on design, illustration and motion graphics.
Link: colinslab.com
NOBODY CAN BUY THE FREEDOM
Nature is peaceful, but man confines himself and places restrictions on peace.
Artist: Da-Eun Jeong
Country: South Korea
Da-Eun Jeong is a graduate student, majoring in spatial environment design, interested in the relationship between space and people, such as the influence of human emotions on space and the power of space.
Link: instagram.com/da_saro_eun__day/
*THE JURY
Rosemary A. DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA)
Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
Fabrizio Hochschild, Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary (UN75)
Seong Eun Kim, CEO of Nam June Paik Art Center (South Korea)
Bao Yifeng, Co-founder of ART021 (China)
Doreen Sibanda, Executive Director of the National Gallery (Zimbabwe)
Kendell Geers, concept artist (South Africa)