America
Satyajit Ray's portrait at UN exhibition
New York, June 27
Indian film maestro Satyajit
Ray is among the 16 global thinkers whose portraits have been displayed
here at the UN art exhibition titled “The Transformative Power of Artâ€.
They have been recognised for contributing to the common good of
humanity.
“Today, the urgency of placing people at the centre of
everything we do is both a challenge and a miracle of human creativity
that can be translated into a common language of artistic inspiration as
our fragile Mother Earth faces the devastating consequences of climate
change, a defining challenge of our time," Ugandan Sam Kutesa, who
currently holds the rotational presidency of the UN General Assembly,
said in a statement published on the official website.
The
exhibition, which takes place under the United Nations "2015: Time for
Global Action" campaign, is primarily destined to raise awareness about
climate change and our fragile ecosystems.
The portraits are
meant to project the power of generosity that touches the human heart
and conscience. The men and women who are represented never lost sight
of the most vulnerable. Apart from Ray, the list includes Pierre-Claver
Akendengué (Gabon), Maya Angelou (US), Joan Baez (US), Audrey Hepburn
(Britain), Vassily Kandinsky (Russia), Umm Kulthum (Egypt), Gong Li
(China), Miriam Makeba (South Africa), Edgar Morin (France), Fatemeh
Motamed-Arya (Iran), Okot p'Bitek (Uganda), Sebastião Salgado (Brazil),
Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (Kenya), and Malala Yousafzai
(Pakistan).
“The Transformative Power of Art†is open to all in the Visitor’s concourse at United Nations Headquarters here.
The
sculptures that are exhibited are made of natural elements provided by
nature’s bounty from all parts of the world. They bear testimony to
nature’s resilience in the face of man-made challenges. The sculptures
are like totems, silent performers, and reminders of the perils facing
Mother Earth and humankind.
The 16 accompanying portraits
represent people from all continents who, during their lifetime,
contributed to the common good of humanity in one way or another and
have transformed the way we think.
The objective of the
exhibition is to demonstrate that art creates bridges where politics
divide. It was designed with the conviction that artistic impulse always
carries seeds of redemption.