THE MEDITERRANEAN PEACE DONKEY
at The Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale
An exhibition of 21 life-sized fiberglass Maltese donkeys painted by noted Maltese and Mediterranean artists symbolizing the need for peace.
2 October 2015 (Chicago, USA / Cairo, Egypt / Mdina, Malta)
On 13 November 2015 at 20h00 at the official opening of the Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale, the island will have 21 more donkeys on it: Mediterranean Peace Donkeys. The Mediterranean Peace Donkey project is a peacebuilding public art exhibition of 21 life-sized fiberglass “Maltese” donkeys painted by premier Maltese and Mediterranean artists symbolizing the need for peace and compassion between the Middle East and West, and more specifically, throughout the Mediterranean Basin (i.e. a donkey for each of the 21 Mediterranean nations).
Organized by CARAVAN, an international peacebuilding arts NGO, The Mediterranean Peace Donkey exhibition uses the symbol of the renowned and endangered Maltese donkey to focus global attention on four critical needs:
- Interreligious Harmony
- East-West Relations
- Donkey Welfare in Conflict Zones
- Humanitarian Assistance for Migrants/Refugees.
The form for the life-size fiberglass donkeys was sculpted by the premier Egyptian artist Dr. Reda Abdel Rahman, which were then fabricated in Malta. The Mediterranean Peace Donkey Project follows in the footsteps of both the widely successful 2013 CARAVAN public art Egyptian donkey initiative in Cairo, Egypt and London, which was seen by over 120,000 people, and also of an international approach to public art that has featured painted animals.
See more photos at the Facebook page here.
For the Mediterranean Peace Donkey initiative, CARAVAN is partnering with The Donkey Sanctuary, the global leader in the field of donkey welfare who is also primary sponsor, together with United Religions Initiative (URI).
Curator: Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, the President of CARAVAN
Artistic Director: Dr. Giuseppe Schembri-Bonaci, Artistic Director of the Mdina Cathedral Art Biennale
For more information, list of participating artists, interviews or photos, contact:
*CARAVAN: email: [email protected] or see: www.oncaravan.org (under “Exhibitions”- Maltese Peace Donkey)
*Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale: email: [email protected] or see: www.mdinabiennale.org
Sponsors and Partners: United Religions Initiative and The Donkey Sanctuary.
Learn more about “Offering an ‘Opening for the Heart’ in Metz, France” and “East-West Artist Exchange.”
