Saturday, June 18, 2016

Kids' Guernica in Switerland


June, 2016
A new Kids’ Guernica peace painting was created in Gossau-Flawil, Switerland and it was sent to Japan for the exhibition in Nagasaki.

A report from Kiwanis Club Gossau-Flawil

In Fall 2015 I had the chance to join a Kiwanis meeting in Nagasaki. At the beginning of this year, Mr. Takeshi Fukushima (President of the Kiwanis Club Nagasaki) asked me to do a peace picture based on the Kid's Guernica project, since the Kiwanis Club Nagasaki likes to do an exhibition with four pictures from different regions of the world.

I could motivate the Kiwanis Club Gossau-Flawil to support the project and I found a teacher interested in this project also. Well, the project started. The Project Team Painter: Primary class of the Notker school building in Gossau with 22 pupil 4 without Swiss passport 6 with two parents that are foreigners 9 with one parent that is a foreigner There are the following nationalities represented by the children: Swiss, Italy, Bosnia, Serbia, Austria, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Turkey

Initiator: Kiwanis Club Nagasaki Supporter: Kiwanis Club Gossau-Flawil. The Project Phases Draft creation Each pupil had to create a draft with the topic peace. 22 drafts were created.

Idea on the Artwork Children of all races holding each others hand are protecting the jewel earth. This atmosphere of peace is symbolized by the pigeons, which not only protect the earth but also the children. Further more the birds imply the existence of a superior power. The Work All pupil were strongly motivated to do this picture and were proud to present the result to the parents. The Project was a good experience for the children. They looked into the subject of peace, could do a group work and with the connection to Nagasaki in Japan, the feeling of a connection to a different part of the world was very exciting.

Stefan Taeschler,

President Kiwanis Club Gossau-Flawil