International Migrants Day
Venue: Dubai International Arts Centre
Date: 18th December 2015
In commemoration of the United Nations Migrants day, 18 December, a dozen artists spent the day painting cardboard boxes on the theme of migrants. We hung them from the arbor surrounding the entrance gate to the Dubai International Art Centre. We also hung postcards made by children at the Art Center during the past week, and origami birds that I folded myself
The objective of this initiative is to pay tribute and reaffirm our support as artists to shape a better society that provides opportunities and lives of dignity for all migrants worldwide.
This installation is symbolic in several ways.
- The arch signifies passage, and the migrants are certainly living a life of passage.
- The arbor is a living plant, which in this context symbolizes growth and hope for the future lives of the migrants.
- The artists in Dubai are migrants, too, each coming from a different part of the world, and sharing our common interests in art.
Our initiative is to spread the word of peace and compassion for migrants to the general public. We are all hopeful for a better future for everyone.