The Violence Project
initiated on occasion of the Russian annihilation war against Ukraine on 1 March 2022, is a New Media art context reflecting the diverse facets of the phenomenon of “Violence”, created, curated, organized, coordinated by Agricola de Cologne, media artist and curator and operating from Cologne/Germany. By inviting, it includes a variety of international artists coming from different cultural, ethnical, religious, social backgrounds working in different digital media disciplines to participate by contributing.
The human condition is violent, violence as a genetic condition for survival – violence is anywhere. People do not learn to prevent violence – domestic violence against women and children, the daily violence at work, racism and social exclusion. Violence is producing violence – the consequences are horrible crimes against humanity as they are happening during the Russian War against Ukraine.
The shocking images dominate the visual media. It is the war of the images. These images are violent intending to intimidate and manipulate, even if they are no fakes. The new culture of producing fakes is another form of violence. Is there the chance at all for non-violence, for a peaceful, thoughtful empathic dealing with the neighbour in good and bad times of conflicts? That non-violence can be successful in politics big leaders like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela were demonstrating, but where are these charismatic “good” people, there are much more “charismatic” evil people like the authoritarian systems on Earth are proving. Unrestrained violence seems to be usual.
As an expression of speechlessness and lack of communication violence is antisocial. As a social act, non-violence, eliminating violence and confrontation is looking for communicating, dialogue and networking, has to start already in the smallest cell of society: family, has to lead consequently to openness against the different: tolerance.
Enter – The Violence Project
