Exhibitions

The exhibition series "Path of Humanity" presents works by distinguished contemporary artists who have an explicit reference to the theme of humanity and humanitarian commitment. Each of the works presented stands on its own and is of high artistic relevance. As an ensemble they embody the confrontation of contemporary art with questions of humanity and humanitarian commitment. The "Path of Humanity" is engaging, critical and inspiring. With artistic means it is shown what humanity could and should be. The question of humanity affects everyone and we cannot close our eyes before the prevailing problems. Some might consider this an instrumentalization of art, but the curators as well as the artists stand behind their humanitarian mission.

The “Path of Humanity" expands over several stations. Completed are the two presentations of 2015 in Lucerne and Heiden (AR). The four future major exhibitions of 2016 and 2017 will be held in Bern, Zurich, Lugano and Geneva. Further locations are planned for these next two years, and changes in the present planning status are reserved. The association budgets and finances each of the three exhibition years separately. So there is currently only the fundraising of exhibitions 2016 under way.

The exhibition venues of "Path of Humanity" are very different. Places in the environment and in existing museums take turns with premises, which serve only temporarily cultural purposes. It is important for each of these situations to develop a curatorial language and attitude which takes into account the place, the theme and the works shown at each instance. The artworks speak for themselves and do not require great scenographic interventions, however, the dialogue between the works must always be re-elaborated. It is also important that additional artistic positions are represented in only one place, well integrated into the overall concept. The whole project will also evolve from station to station.

During the exhibitions events and presentations of invited humanitarian actors will take place. These actions are deliberately not separated from the exhibitions but integrated into them, because at this level art and humanitarian commitment belong together. Carefully and respectfully affected groups such as asylum seekers and refugees and their helpers are to be involved in the framework programme.


4. Places

Already concluded Exhibitions
Lucerne, January-May 2015: Bourbaki Panorama
125 years humanitarian monument

In 1889 the Bourbaki Panorama was opened in Lucerne, which Edouard Castres had created in 1881 in Geneva. The circular paionting shows the largest humanitarian operation in Switzerland: in February 1871 87,000 French soldiers were rescued and placed over the whole of Switzerland for several months. The artist himself was a humanitarian activist who on the part of the French Eastern Army provided humanitarian aid as a Red Cross paramedic. Edouard Castres reported with his panoramic painting, so to speak "live" from the war. His sketches from the field of 1871 were ten years later implemented in the mass media of its time, the panorama. Thus the general public was informed and sensitized about this other side of the war.

The main contempory art piece this exhibition was the work of Jeff Wall "Restoration”. This masterpiece of 1993 is a large-format 360° dia slide of the Bourbaki Panorama during its restoration. The success of this first exhibition has opened the way to the exhibition sequence (see Media Coverage).

Heiden, August-October 2015: in the surroundings of the Henry Dunant Museum

105 years anniversary Henry Dunant

The former businessman Henry Dunant (actually: Jean-Henri Dunant), traveled for 20 years after his conviction for bankruptcy in Geneva through Europe. In the summer of 1887 he ended up as a broken man in the Pension Paradies in Heiden and later under social welfare in the local district hospital. Retired and constantly full of ideas, Dunant learned there from a newspaper calling of his late rehabilitation, which culminated in the awarding of the first Nobel Peace Prize 1901.

The exhibition was comprised of only two artistic positions: the wall sculpture "Solferino" by Max Hari and the installation "A Lighthouse for Lampedusa" by Thomas Kilpper, forming the artistic arc in all exhibitions of the Path of Humanity from Solferino to Lampedusa.


Future Exhibitions

Bern May 27 - June 26, 2016 : Tram Depot Burgernziel & Federal Archives

Founding Place and Headquarters of SRC: 150 years of Swiss Red Cross

The SRC comprises 24 cantonal associations and five rescue organizations, two institutions as well as the General Office. At the initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross and under the patronage of General Guillaume Henri Dufour and Federal Councilor Jakob Dubs, the Swiss Red Cross was founded on July 17, 1866 in Bern. Also in Bern, namely the Federal Archives, the originals of the Geneva Conventions are deposited.

Zurich September 12 - October 13 2016: Photobastei & City House

Partnership with Lampedusa

Winterthur November 1 – December 15 2016: Oxyd Artspace & City House

Partnership with Melilla

Aargau & Solothurn March-April 2017: Zofingen, Olten, Baden, Brugg and Aarau

EU Partnertship

Lugano May/June 2017: Villa Ciani

Partnership with Solferino

Basel July/August 2017: Shipyard

Partnertship with Swiss Refugee Organizations

Geneva September/October 2017: ICRC Humanitarium

Partnership with ICRC


5. Artworks


At each station artworks will be selected with the local organizer, which reflect the place of exhibition and the theme of the programs. A few works travel like the following:

5.1. Indoor Exhibition


1) Solferino, wall sculpture and painting by Max Hari (Bern )

The history of the Red Cross begins with Solferino. The Bernese artist Max Hari refers with his project on Henry Dunant’s book A Memory of Solferino, which formed the basis for the idea of establishing the International Committee of the Red Cross (1863). Hari’s sculpted wall shows on the outside as a woodcut the war horrors as it has described impressively in Duant’s book. The inside is a painting on wood and depicts the humanitarian aspect of Solferino and therefore the actual prequel to the work of the Red Cross.


2) THE PETRIFIED, stone sculptures by Carl Bucher (died 2015)

The exhibition project ends on the premises of the ICRC headquarters in Geneva, where the group of sculptures by Carl Bucher stands. He found in his works a language that in a timeless and universal way depicts the suffering of people. With “The Petrified” Bucher created a symbol and a reminder of the of the
Red Cross. Bucher combined personal with political as a symbol of suffering and suppressed people. His sculptures stand as a warning call also on other public hotspots such as in front Human Rights Court in Strasbourg and in front of the headquarters of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. On all stations of the exhibition project, a preliminary study for the original work by Carl Bucher of “The Petrified” is shown.


3) video work by Theres Liechti (Winterthur)

In her video work the Winterthur artist Theres Liechti deals with the projections and expectations of refugees and people of the host countries showing how fragile the situation is with the present humanitarian crisis.


4) Light objects by Monika Gasser (Luzern)

The Lucerne artist Monika Gasser has created light objects on which images of refugees and asylum seekers appear and disappear. Depending on the lighting or mood in the room they are perceived very differently.


5) MELILLA PANORAMA, photo sculpture by Christoffer Joergensen (Zurich)

The Zurich artist Christoffer Joergensen has created a photographic panorama of the Spanish enclave of Melilla (Morocco), which is separated from Africa by a metal grid around the city. The spherical sculpture that one cannot enter but only look into shifts the perspective of the viewer: In order to see the panorama fully, one must hold the head into the sphere and is thus in the enclave, separated from all the excluded other viewers. The artwork compels the viewer to reflect on one's own person by questioning who stands on the right and on the wrong side of the fence.

6) Ode to Joy, photo series by Tanja Boukal (Vienna)

The Austrian artist Tanja Boukal grapples with today's refugee destinies mainly in the medium of textile and photography. The focus in the photo series shown here is a white lace cloth. This cloth bears the text of the European anthem framed by barbed wire knit. This textile work the artist took in 2014 on tour to Melilla and photographed on both sides of the border: refugees wrapped in the noble ideals of Europe.

7 ) IN TRANSITION, photographic work by Melchior Imboden (Nidwalden)

The graphic designer and photographer Melchior (Melk) Imboden has created a series of photographic works on asylum seekers. These works allow the viewer to feel the condition of these persons in need who have fled from a war zone and have not yet found a new home.

To Know more information about Marco Stoffel Please visit the website.
http://www.ms-kunstverknuepft.org/