C.P.Seibt, one of the artists I have already featured in my series „Artists I Like“ currently has a one year project going which is called „Paintings for hope“. In this interview he told me a little more about it:
Please describe your project „Paintings for Hope“?
We’re giving away a painting every day, for 365 days.
We are giving them to people who appreciate the painting because they find an attraction in it and connect this piece of art to their own hopes. At the project’s completion, many people will have connected their hopes with a piece of art and be connected to the choices and hopes of others.
We started on 21st of March 2014. It is global, unique in its kind and it is a social sculpture. Until today we have given away 240 paintings in 33 different countries.
You’re calling it a „social sculpture“. What do you mean by that?
The artist Joseph Beuys created the term “social sculpture” in the 70s. It is based on the idea that human beings, communicating with art, change their lives and a life changed will radiate that to others.
How did you get the idea for this project?
Every day we are all aggressively inundated by terrible news and hideous images. Our hopes disappear under the daily terror of power over the powerless, insatiable greed, inflated mediocrity and the cynical misinterpretation that the value of art is its price. “Who does the market, is a master.”
As a reaction to this we wanted to do something radical. And as we believe that art has the power to transform society we came to the idea of this project.
And according to Dostoevsky, we also believe that “Beauty saves the world“.
Who can participate and how?
Everyone is warmly invited. Every day we show a new image of one of Peter´s paintings on our website. If this painting inspires you of your hopes and you would like to have it you can apply by providing your information as name, address, email and a short message of your hope.
Every day we hold a lottery of the people who submit and inform them where the painting will go. If your name is selected, we send you the painting within 10 days, wherever in the world you may be, absolutely free of charge.
How has the feedback for your project been so far?
Intense and enthusiastic. We receive daily emails with very encouraging messages. To read them gives us daily joy and makes us happy. The people are very thankful, positively surprised, finding this is the perfect project for the troubling times in which we live, spreading love and hope and joy. Some people almost can´t believe there are no “strings” attached. Some of the messages can be read on our website under “today”.
And The Huffington Post published an article which pleased us a lot.
Where can people find you online?
On our website: http://www.paintingsforhope.org/
and on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaintingsForHope
Dies ist mein persönliches Blog, auf dem ich alle meine vorherigen Websites zusammengefasst habe. Daher die buntegemischten Themen: Ich führe Bloggespräche und blogge über Persönliches, Digitales und Kulturelles. Ich liebe es, Menschen zu fotografieren und mich mit Kunst zu beschäftigen. Manchmal schreibe ich auch noch was anderes als Blogbeiträge. Für andere bin ich als Wegbegleiterin in Sachen Kommunikation aktiv. Vor allem bin ich aber eins: Ein Mensch!