Expressing Solidarity Through Art: A Syrian Perspective
The American University of Paris
Mixed Media - Enhanced Photography by Lori Shocket
The Syria civil war, now in its sixth year, is “a slaughterhouse, a complete meltdown of humanity. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than 11 million from their homes. In many cases, children caught up in this crisis have fared the worst, losing parents or friends to the violence, suffering physical and psychological trauma, or falling years behind in school.
The Human Element project is proud to announce a new partnership with La Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG), a Guatemalan forensics organization that collects testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Guatemalan Genocide. The Human Element Project has been invited to help create this memorial through a series of workshops where participants will express their stories through painting and collage.
Holocaust Memory Reconstruction Project
Syrian refugees gather at The American University of Paris to reconstruct
The use of the arts as rehabilitation for those that are incarcerated works towards a model of incarceration as a rehabilitative rather than punitive practice. Evidence has shown that arts programs within prisons are excellent outlets for self-expression and personal achievement as well as provide therapeutic and healing benefits. Expressive Art Workshops offer inmates and opportunity to be seen as emotionally available and creative human beings capable of change and empathy despite their crimes. The Human Element Project has developed a series of thought provoking workshops specifically designed to offer inmates an opportunity for self-exploration and expression through a variety of art mediums combined with expressive writing.
Jewish Museum of Maryland.
Workshops continue at the
Jewish Holocaust Centre.
Permanent Exhibition scheduled for 2019
Exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance
is now on permanent display at the
Beverly Hills Synagogue, Beverly Hills, CA
Partnerships with museums in the United States and Australia
Memory Reconstruction and Rehabilitative Projects
The Human Element Project is an interactive, dynamic and creative opportunity to develop thought-provoking art installations that make powerful social statements about the connection between art, science and the human experience. Our goal is to create an on-going dialog dedicated to exploring and documenting the human experience through public art installations, exhibitions, hands-on workshops and education.
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This year the Human Element Project is collaborated with several social service agencies to offere Expressive Art Workshops to their winter shelter and transitional residents. Each guest is given a canvas, chalk pastels, markers and a choice of hundreds of text strips and asked to compose a visual story about themselves.
CONNECTING ART, SCIENCE and the HUMAN EXPERIENCE
Reconstructing Memories with the families of the Guatemalan Genocide