CARAVAN's THE BRIDGE exhibition in London, England
Special Recognitions of CARAVAN: King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week "Honorable Mention" Award for 2015
CARAVAN's exhibition in Paris, France, LE PONT (The Bridge) this last February 2015, received from Jordan the King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week "Honorable Mention" AWARD Recognition.
CARAVAN Puts Up Another Bridge In London
“Art can imitate reconciliation as it is a common language around the world,” said The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt. Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby, to a VIP audience at the official opening of THE BRIDGE exhibition in London, England. The Archbishop went on to say, “Some reject anyone they do not like and demonize anyone they cannot understand. People have never felt closer to each other in terms of what they say to each other and they have never felt so unable to deal with that closeness. Art subverts the lack of understanding. It affects the conscious mind where barriers exist and allows for space for interpretation.”
The third stop on the world tour of the ground-breaking interfaith East-West contemporary art exhibition, THE BRIDGE, featuring premier Arab, Persian and Jewish artists of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith backgrounds, opened at the beginning of June 2015 at St. Martin in the Fields on Trafalgar Square. The objective of THE BRIDGE exhibition, which will run in London through August 2, is to examine the commonalities between different faiths and to bring communities together while respecting the diversity of traditions.
The official VIP opening was held on June 8, 2015, with The Archbishop of Canterbury giving an opening address on the role of art in bridging faiths and cultures. Other guest speakers included: His Excellency Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of Egypt to the UK, Archbishop Mouneer H. Anis, Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East for the Anglican Church, Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, Vicar of St. Martin in the Fields, Mr. Ahmed Badrawi, Managing Director of SODIC (the sponsor of THE BRIDGE) and Ms. Carelle Homsy, a participating artist. Other special guests included among numerous others Sheik Mohey El Din Afifi from Al Azhar in Cairo, Egypt and Fr. Shenouda, representing the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and various participating artists.
NEXT STOP ON THE WORLD TOUR IS METZ, FRANCE: THE BRIDGE exhibition will open in Metz on August 27 and will be held at both Metz Cathédrale (Sainte Etienne) and Archives Municipales (Cloître des Récollets). It will run in Metz through October 9.
THE BRIDGE’s founding sponsor is SODIC, and it is supported by the British Council, together with assistance from CARAVAN’s program partners, Syra Arts and United Religions Initiative (URI).
See Photos Of Exhibition & Program In London
Watch a short video about The Bridge Exhibition in London
Sami Yusuf sings at CARAVAN's London Event for THE BRIDGE
In addition to visual art, CARAVAN’s initiatives also involve the full-range of creative artistic expression, including the fields of music, literature, and film. CARAVAN was privileged to have Sami Yusuf, the celebrated Middle Eastern singer/songwriter perform as part of THE BRIDGE program in London. Above you can watch and listen to Sami Yusuf singing his song “The Gift of Love” in London which was originally commissioned for the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week. The actual song starts after an opening chant (at 2:30 minutes). It is a beautiful and contemplative piece, and we encourage you to step aside from life’s busyness for a few moments to listen to it. CARAVAN wishes to thank Sami Yusuf for the special gift of his presence.
