This call is part of the Peace Summit – No to NATO! Madrid 2022 efforts, supported by transform! europe.
The (In)Security Poster Call creates a dialogue between the concepts of peace and war. With the call, the Peace Summit – No to NATO! network aims to promote a reflection on what really threatens our coexistence, what makes us feel insecure, and to explore everyday situations where we suffer insecurity and violence and imagine what actually provides security for the people and the planet.
The exhibition will be hosted on the Peace Summit website and distributed as a digital catalogue, with all credits given to the participating artists. The posters will be made available to everyone organising anti-NATO actions, exhibitions, conferences and campaigns.
After all, art, like land, belongs to those who labour on it – it belongs to the peoples who work for peace everywhere in the World. We welcome you to cultivate a practice and spirit of internationalism by creating solidarity art in service of people’s movements and struggles against war.
You can send one or two posters addressing the following questions:
1. What makes us secure?
2. What makes us insecure?
We leave you a poem by Bertolt Brecht to inspire and encourage you to create art for peace:
WHEN THE LEADERS SPEAK OF PEACE
The common folk know
That war is coming.
When the leaders curse war
The mobilization order is already written out.
THOSE AT THE TOP SAY: PEACE
AND WAR
Are of different substance.
But their peace and their war
Are like wind and storm.
War grows from their peace
Like son from his mother
He bears
Her frightful features.
Their war kills
Whatever their peace
Has left over.
Excerpts “From A German War Primer” by Bertolt Brecht
Feminist (In)Security – special section
In this special section co-organized with Capire, we invite women, women’s collectives or gender dissidents to reflect from a feminist approach on:
- 1. The challenges and practices of women to sustain life in contexts of war
- 2. The contributions of feminism for peace building.
This feminist section would be published as a virtual gallery on Capire & Peace Summit website, with an introductory text visualizing the whole process of “(In)security” and the construction of the “No to NATO” Peace Summit.
To inspire the production of the feminist posters, we suggest the poem “Vietnam”, by the Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska.
VIETNAM
“Woman, what’s your name?” “I don’t know.”
“How old are you? Where are you from?” “I don’t know.”
“Why did you dig that burrow?” “I don’t know.”
“How long have you been hiding?” “I don’t know.”
“Why did you bite my finger?” “I don’t know.”
“Don’t you know that we won’t hurt you?” “I don’t know.”
“Whose side are you on?” “I don’t know.”
“This is war, you’ve got to choose.” “I don’t know.”
“Does your village still exist?” “I don’t know.”
“Are those your children?” “Yes.”
How to participate?
Information: Title of work, full name, country, organization (optional), social media handles (optional).
Submission format: A3 in .jpg or .pdf (300dpi) – no borders, backgrounds, or watermarks.
Deadline: Wednesday, 1 June 2022
Submission: peacesummitmadrid[at]gmail.com
No matter the technique used for the poster. No need to be a professional designer to participate! We will not select works based on technical skills. Everyone is welcome to participate!