What can art achieve in regions affected by war? How do artists create opportunities for encounters and foster peaceful conflict resolution? artasfoundation, the Swiss foundation for art in conflict regions, has been initiating and organising art projects since 2012. Through practice, it is repeatedly confronted with fundamental questions. The series Art in Conflict aims to delve into these questions by an exchange between practitioners and scholars. This series, presented as moderated table discussions by the artasfoundation team, explores specific topics grounded in practical experiences and theoretical insights.

Two projects in different political contexts are at the core of this issue of Art in Conflict. One is an initiative in Switzerland that deals with how to address a racist public mural (Das Wandbild muss weg! (The Mural Must Go!)). The other is the long-established project space SKLAD in the globally isolated region of Abkhazia. SKLAD seeks to be a place where international artists can engage with the local context, local artists can further develop their work, and the creative community can find space for exchange and discussion. Through these two civil society and artistic initiatives, the conditions for successful engagement are explored.

Interested visitors are welcome to attend and to take part in the discussions. Spontaneous participation on site is always possible. Online participation is possible with prior registration.

Free entry

For the event on 14. May, please register here

Subscribe to the current programme of the Art in Conflict discussion series via this link