Finding Unity Amidst Conflict: The Intersection of Art and Human Rights
JR, Wrinkles of the City, Berlin. Am Wasserturm (Watertower), Prenzlauer Berg. Wikimedia Commons
Art serves many purposes–– it can imagine global issues in new ways, influence viewers’ understanding, and ultimately impact the world. When we look at art through the lens of human rights, we see the true power of expression, revealing a path towards progress and change. There are many challenges today confronting humanity, including oppression, discrimination, and violations of individual freedom. In a world that doesn’t guarantee the protection of humanity, it can be hard to find hope under the layers of suffering endured by people across the globe. This is when art can be most valuable, with its ability to transcend reality and to communicate important messages. It can help us find answers and imagine solutions to problems that feel unresolvable. Both classic and contemporary artists have used compelling approaches to break down human rights issues so audiences can better understand them; their work becomes a form of activism, embodying the potential for growth and change.
JR: The Street as Gallery of Humanity
Some artists highlight human rights issues in their work and use the surrounding environment to spread their message, a method that almost dares the viewer to look away. Art that is so surprisingly captivating facilitates new thoughts and engagement from the viewer. You might encounter it at an unexpected time, perhaps during a walk down the street, when you happen to stop and look up to see a striking image on the side of a building, or maybe even on the ground below your feet. At that moment, something important happens. When you pause, and look, and wonder, you become an active participant in not only the artwork, but the humanity embedded within it.
For the French artist and photographer JR, this strategy is a defining feature of his work. His large-scale public installations of murals depict photographic images of particular subjects that his pieces focus on: faces of humans. By observing others, we observe ourselves. He dedicates his work to individuals whose voices might be underrepresented in society, or who are a part of communities that are often discriminated against. He magnifies their faces on walls and buildings, once stating that the street is “the largest art gallery in the world.” One of his projects, The Wrinkles of the City, honors communities of older people throughout various cities in the world. It portrays the often forgotten experiences of an elder generation who have witnessed the complete transformation of the places they knew as home. He depicts joys and sorrows caused by political and social turmoil. In the project’s installation in Berlin, he acknowledges the destructive history of the city through its elders, while reaffirming their identity and sense of belonging in its current state. His projections show the past revealed in the present, painting an important portrait of remembrance for younger generations.
In addition to The Wrinkles of the City, JR has also created the global art Inside Out project, which combines his own artistic practices to illuminate the stories and experiences of individuals and communities of all backgrounds through the dedication of a public space. The 2011 Inside Out project in Israel and Palestine “Time is Now, Yalla!” invited people from both places to engage in the initiative that would attempt to “bring peace and shared prosperity.” In a collaborative process rooted in social justice, JR shared large-scale portraits and allowed space in each for people to paste in their own images wherever they wanted. This act of empowerment emphasized the need for community action amidst political conflict.
JR, Inside Out, “Time is Now, Yalla!” Nablus, 2011. Wikimedia Commons
Francisco de Goya: The Horror of War
When we dive into the historical roots of human rights depicted in art, we gain perspective on its influential power across all time periods. Many classical artists and artwork depict themes of violence and suffering, when art was the only form of reckoning with the inhumane nature of war that shaped much of our current world.
The iconic Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco de Goya was a notable figure during the late 18th and early 19th century, recognized for his influential artwork and reflections on the human condition. He explores themes of human rights abuses in one of his notable series, The Disasters of War, which document the cruel atrocities of the Peninsular War (1808-1804) between Spain and Napoleonic France. He focuses on the innocent lives affected, harmed, and destroyed by war and political conflict. His prints bear witness to, and force audiences to confront, the inescapable truths of historical human suffering. He exposes a reality so hard to believe– illustrating ruthless attacks, abuses of power, and overwhelming horror— that one cannot help but ask: How is this level of inhumanity possible?
Classical art like Goya’s gives historical insight into what contemporary human rights artists, like JR, aim to achieve when urging audiences to reflect on their own position in humanity throughout larger states of conflict. By focusing on the impossible devastations of human suffering caused by war, Goya shows that this level of inhumanity cannot be ignored, and beyond questioning how it happened, we must also question how we can collectively work against it.
Francisco de Goya, The Disasters of War, 1810-1820. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wikimedia Commons
