Brian is honored to have a War-Toys piece included in the exhibition "Juger/Créer: Regards sur la Cour Pénale Internationale,” opening on 26 November 2018 at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris. The exhibition marks the 20th anniversary of the International Criminal Court and its creation by the Rome Statue.
Organized by The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Institute of Advanced Studies on Justice, the National School of Magistrates, the Cité internationale des arts, Creating Rights, the City of Paris, and artists including Zérane Girardeau, the exhibition and accompanying round table discussions present an original and transversal approach to the International Criminal Court by combining different disciplines: history, law, sociology and art.
A route designed around different spaces allows visitors to gradually enter the heart of the Court. From the presentation of this international jurisdiction, to the immersion in a trial, to the victims' view of the crimes they have suffered, the organizers and artists wanted both to pay tribute to this institution and to allow the opening of a dialogue and reflection on its functioning, its actions, its ambitions and its future. Celebrating this historic moment serves to remind us that the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression are a violation of our humanity and that it is essential to support the International Criminal Court's action in its fight against impunity.
The selected War-Toys image was created in 2016 and based on a young Syrian refugee’s account of being the lone survivor of an airstrike that killed her entire family. To preserve the girl's anonymity, her name has been pixelated in the top right of her drawing. Humble thanks goes to the Kayany Foundation for facilitating the art-based interview at one of their schools for refugees in Lebanon, Art Therapist Myra Saad for conducting the interview on behalf of War-Toys, Zérane Girardeau for selecting the piece for the exhibition, and Maud Saheb at UNICEF France for the kind introduction.
For more information:
https://www.citedesartsparis.net/en/exhibition-juger-creer