Ποιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do

The Izmir-Chios mural by Deniz Hasirci and Efi Lipari

In front of the Izmir-Chios mural 2007 (from left to right)

Magnolia Albertazzi, Efi Lipari, Deniz Hasirci, Asit Poddar, Nikos Nichtas, Hatto Fischer, Jad Salman, Takuya Kaneda, Savina Tarsitano

 

The dialogue between cultures – the Izmir-Chios painting done over a stretch of time from May in Chios to September in Izmir 2007

by Deniz Hasirci

The joint painting between Greece and Turkey has a great significance as a message from children to both countries. Although the children could not speak a common language, they managed to work together harmoniously and established a strong bond by means of painting together. The workshop proved to be a valuable one for all children as well as the adults involved, and shall be an experience they will not easily forget.

Izmir, Turkey: In 2006, on the Turkish side, before communications with Kids' Guernica began, Asst. Prof. Dr. Deniz Hasirci and Gulistan Banu Cel Sevgi from Izmir University of Economics (IUE) and TAKEV School, respectively, had established a Buddy Program between students and pupils of these two institutions. The program involves older and younger students being paired and working together on specific projects. The collaborative approach which is at the core of Kids' Guernica, appeared to be very much in line with the program.

Chios, Greece: Coincidences brought the Buddy Program and Kids' Guernica together. Children in Chios under the coordination of Thomas Economacos started the painting in May, 2007 during the Kids’ Guernica exhibition held there.

This was continued in September, 2007 in Izmir, Turkey. After months of long distance communication, Hatto Fischer, Associated member of the ECCM Network as well as coordinator of Poiein Kai Prattein and Thomas Economacos, artist and art coordinator of Poiein Kai Prattein, along with Efi Lipari, tourist officer of the Prefecture of Chios, crossed the sea and came to Izmir with 8 youths from Chios and met up with Hasirci and Sevgi, in Izmir September 2007 to continue the painting which had been started in May in Chios.

Youth from Chios bending over the mural brought to Izmir

The Workshop: In Izmir, 2nd and 3rd students from IUE Faculty of Art and Design, and 7th, 8th year students from TAKEV were waiting anxiously for the painting which carried opinions, and reflections from the children of Chios. The group first played games led by Thomas Economacos to warm up to one another. The university students and adults enjoyed the games just as much as the children... if not more. Afterwards the children opened up the painting to see the ideas that were delivered to them. They diligently worked together for two days to create a painting of peace which was exhibited in Athens in October 2007.

Unfolding the canvas in school yard in Izmir

Mayor’s Support: The workshop proved once again that Kids' Guernica takes small but effective steps towards such communication which can further mutual understanding and peace between people and cultures. Aziz Kocaoglu, the Mayor of the Greater Municipality of Izmir supported the project with the following words: "The message that these children help spread will hopefully set an example for all countries. I wish you success in your work and embrace all of the children who are taking part in this fascinating project."

Communication: When asked how they communicated, the children said that it was through painting. Painting became a medium for a relationship between children who had just met there and then.

The various ages of the participants also helped for the three groups to share the roles effectively. The TAKEV group was the youngest (10-12), then came the Chios group (14-17), and finally the university students (19-22). The university students were coached by Hasirci and then by Economacos about how to relate to the children and how to work with them. Art is different than design, and thus the design students had to understand fully the necessities of the project beforehand. There was also a time limit, and therefore, the design students were helpful as mediators as well as enjoying the process by painting actively as full participants. In participatory art and design projects, it is important to include university students so that both the children, and the university students learn to work in harmony as well as grasping different qualities from the experience. The younger students learn about participation and cooperation, and the older students learn about responsibility of the work and the younger students among many other issues.

After completion the whole group at TAKEV school, Izmir Sept. 2007

Influences of the Mural: When the mural was completed, there was a moment of relief that we were on time, but also a feeling in everyone of wanting to continue painting. In such a short time, this mural had become a method and symbol of communication. Several students, including the university students did not want to quit. Some of the design students who took part in this event have graduated in the meantime and have started to work or are doing their graduate studies. They still talk about this experience and ask time after time if there is going to be a new action. Since Hasirci has a team of instructors, graduate and undergraduate students, she continues to work on this under her group Children’s Environments Initiative. In particular, she coordinates frequently participatory design workshops with design students and children. The design students take part in these workshops as well, and get a chance to compare differences between participation in art and design. The design students learn lessons from workshops that they extend into their professional and academic work. They are more aware of children’s needs, more used to listening to children and considering their opinions, and more used to working in teams, carrying the lessons learned to their designs. The younger students, the children, also learn to work in teams, communicate, cooperate and be able to create a finalized art work. The mural making experience is a unique one for children as it is educational, however, does not do this out loud. The children take much more than the paint on their hands, feet, faces and clothes with them when they set out to go back to their homes.

Mural Completed: All participants gathered around the mural to analyze it. They did so by remembering details of the process. Everyone was exhausted but happy as they exchanged contact information. Some still communicate with one another. The event was widely publicized in Turkish local and national newspapers, and that brought even more interest to the project. The photograph in the newspapers with everyone’s hands in the air show this joy. The finalized mural was left to dry at TAKEV school, and then taken by the group led by Fischer and Economacos to Athens. It was exhibited first in public at the Zappion Megaron, Athens, Greece in conjunction with the ECCM Symposium: Productivity of Culture.

Nikos Nichtas and Deniz Hasirci with children from 108 Municipal School at Kids' Guernica Exhibition

The experience was a remarkable one for all those who were involved. It has touched their lives that will undoubtedly be present even if only in the background, to guide future thoughts and actions. It is a great honor to be a part of this established group with several hardworking people such as Hatto Fischer and Thomas Economacos. This group has become like a family in the times that followed the workshop in Izmir. It is wonderful to be one of the kids in Kids’ Guernica.


Involved in the Izmir-Chios Mural Action were

Deniz Hasirci - Asst. Prof. Dr., Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Coordinator of Children’s Environments Initiative, Dept. of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design (Head), Turkey

Efi Lipari - Tourist officer in Chios, Greece made the presentation together with Vice President of Prefecture of Chios, Nikos Nichtas

Thomas Economacos - artist, Greece and member of Poiein kai Prattein

Hatto Fischer, Coordinator of Poiein kai Prattein

 

For further documentation of the Izmir-Chios peace mural see

http://poieinkaiprattein.org/kids-guernica/activities-in-greece---poiein-kai-prattein/the-izmir-chios-mural-intercultural-dialogue-2007/

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