Geneva, Switzerland –
Artists for Peace was an international association, connecting people who wished to promote world peace through art. It was founded on 10 December 1993, following the succesful Bertha von Suttner exhibition “Die Waffen nieder!”, organised by the League of Nations Archives at the Library of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
In their first year, Artists for Peace had around 20 members with Ursula-Maria Ruser-Braüning as president. By 1998, the association counted more than 100 members from a wide range of nationalities and professions. The association has organised a large number of events since 1994, notably exhibitions, conferences and themed meetings. A newsletter and numerous publications were put out each year by the committee.
The association decided at an extraordinary general meeting to disband at the end of 1999. This was principally because their objectives (“…to give ideas, accentuate the vision, inspire and strengthen the creative means of its members…”) had been achieved. Informal, local groups of artists continued to organise events in the spirit of Artists for Peace, holding receptions and exhibitions in Geneva, Berlin, New York and in the Schleswig Holstein up until 2004. The last conference was held in Jodhpur, India, in 2001.
Major events
1994
- 1st AfP exhibition to commemorate World Peace Day, 21 September 1994, featuring the work of German sculptor Erich Sauer. Exhibited in Geneva, Switzerland and Frankfurt, Germany.
1995
- 1st International AfP Conference “The arts – creativity , a means to achieve a peaceful future”, in Ferney-Voltaire, France
- 2nd AfP exhibition to commemorate World Peace Day 1995, featuring the work of South African Artists. Exhibited in Geneva, Switzerland; Düsseldorf, Germany and in Cape Town, South Africa.
1996
2nd International AfP Conference “There is no peace without beauty”, in Darmstadt, Germany- 3rd AfP exhibition to commemorate World Peace Day 1996, featuring the work of Greek painter Dr. Wassili Lepanto. Exhibited in Geneva, Switzerland; Athens, Greece and Düsseldorf, Germany.
- AfP Exhibition 21 Sep – 6 Oct 1996 in St. Ulrich bei Steyr, Austria, Peace Summit’96 in connection with the Millennium celebration of Austria. Poster art: ‘Protector of the Woods’ by Leonard Peltier
1997
- 3rd International AfP Conference, “Beauty will save the world”, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Held in connection with the 10th anniversary of the Museum for Peace and Solidarity, Samarkand, and AfP Exhibition on “Art and Beauty”.
- AfP Exhibition/Art Project April 1997, “Oneness-World Vision-Reality” by Nikunja, exhibited in Geneva.
- 4th AfP Exhibition to commemorate World Peace Day 1997, featuring “Water Landscapes” photography by Wim Cox from Cologne, Germany. Exhibited in Geneva, Switzerland.
1998
- 4th International AfP Conference, “Grace of life – the beauty of movement and dance”, in Samos, Greece
- AfP Exhibition Aug 1998 “Live Visions”, in connection with the 50th anniversary of Human Rights, in cooperation with the FETE d’EXCELLENCE at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
1999
- 5th International AfP Conference, “The power of language, the written, the spoken and unspoken”, in Rolle, Switzerland
2001
- 6th International AfP Conference “The world is actually music”, in Jodhpur, India
Source:
Archives de la Ville de Geneve – Artists for Peace
