GLOBAL IMAGINATIONS ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE

26 June 2015

The contemporary art exhibition Global Imaginations will open in De Meelfabriek in Leiden on Saturday 27 June 2015. Thirty works of art by twenty artists from all corners of the globe reveal very diverse worldviews, all balancing between hope and fear. With their installation Monument to the Dutch, the American artist collective Ghana ThinkTank critically questions the state of the internationally renowned tolerant character of the Dutch. With this approach, they are particularly aiming at the increasing social divide between Muslims and non-Muslims. In a reaction to this work of art, representatives from the OCJM(formerly known as the Cairo Conference, an informal group representing different religious groups in the Netherlands) call for more dialogue.

Monument to the Dutch

Symbolic references to the secret annex (the Achterhuis) where Anne Frank lived, play a very important role in the installation Monument to the Dutch. References are also made to the tolerant tradition within Islam and to the Islamic faith itself. Through these references, artists Christopher Robbins (US), John Ewing (US) and Maria del Carmen Montoya (US) are trying to raise more awareness of the growing intolerance towards Muslims and foreigners in the Netherlands.

Dialogue

Representatives of the OJCM (Conference of Jews, Christians and Muslims) underline the importance of freedom of speech and emphasize that it should always be possible to exhibit critical works of art like this in a free society. At the same time, they are critical about the Monument itself. Representatives Hanneke Gelderblom and Driss El Boutoufi argue that calling for more tolerance, as the artists are doing, isn’t enough: tolerance is only the first step towards creating real dialogue and real understanding between the different groups that make up Dutch society. Hanneke Gelderblom-Lankhout: “Anne Frank isn’t a symbol of tolerance. The Achterhuis is a warning that reminds us that tolerance seems fine, but doesn’t protect us from prejudice and racism. To create a dialogue is to listen, is to try and understand each other while respecting differences. While it isn’t always easy to maintain a dialogue, it is absolutely necessary in today’s society.”

Widely differing visions of the world

How do we take a new look at today’s complex world? That question is at the core of the Global Imaginations exhibition. People in today’s world are more connected than ever before. This complex reality demands that we find new ways to interpret the world around us. Global Imaginations is an exhibition in which contemporary artists from all corners of the globe share their vision on that world. They bring new concepts to the table that, through very diverse perspectives and unexpected links, encourage dialogue and new ways of thinking.

NOTE TO THE EDITOR

Captions:

Batoul S’Himi, Monde sous Pression (Wereld onder druk) 2008-15. Opengewerkte aluminium snelkookpannen, gasflessen en hakmessen. Courtesy de kunstenaar.
Ghana ThinkTank, Monument to the Dutch, 2015. An installation that brings together sacred symbols of tolerance. You may enter the house; please show respect to this sacred place by obeying the posted rules. Mixed materials: Courtesy Ghana ThinkTank. Design: Ghana ThinkTank. Realisation: José Warmerdam-van Beek. Photo: Evert Elzinga

For more images, go to the Global Imaginations press kit