INTRODUCTION:
I’ve joined in a yearlong monthly event called We Are The World Blogfest.
The purpose of this event is to highlight positive news stories, presenting these stories on your blog on the last Friday of the month.
This being the last Friday of August, in a month that’s been like no other, I have a small news story, albeit political, to share with you, my gentle readers.
THE NEWS STORY:
Early in August I saw this news story, Berlin street artist group cleverly undo swastika graffiti.
The artists featured in this news story have collaborated, voluntarily, to make their city “100% swastika-free” by responding “with humour and love” to the unwelcome swastika graffiti. They are doing this by modifying the swastika graffiti, turning it into benign, rather cute, images.
MY COMMENTARY:
Considering the recent violent neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, VA, this article is more timely than I expected it to be when I first read it and saved it for this project.
I liked the story because I thought these artists had found an inspired + simple way to handle hate. By defacing that which was defaced, they have created something not morally reprehensible.
Something that shows a bit of style and, dare I suggest, angelic grace.
Something that quickly and quietly has effectively turned hate into great.
I love their response to hateful graffiti. I like this challenge. My recent post was referring to Charlottesville also.
http://www.meinthemiddlewrites.com
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Mary Lou, these artists have it going on, don’t they? I was charmed by them. And now I’m over to read what you wrote.
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Enjoyed the video clip of the PaintBack project ~> the “Walk like an Egyptian” transformation was great.
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nancy, all of their transformations tickled me. I’d love to meet these artists in person and listen to what they have to say [in English] about the impact of their work.
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Very clever ~ both concept and execution.
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I had not seen that, and I liked it very much! Great choice, Ally Bean 🙂
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joey, I thought this was one of the most inspired things that I read all month. Glad that you liked it.
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Brilliant solution.
I know that a lot of people have a negative reaction to graffiti. I understand that as a former shop keeper whose exterior signs were tagged and defaced. My ex-husband took it personally, but it’s part of living in an urban center, right?
Even though there are downsides, I still admire the colourful and creative “oeuvre.” And in this particular project, I think the “fix” disproves the saying that “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
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Maggie, well said! You’re right that this cleverness disproves the old saying. I’d never promote graffiti, but if it turns up and you can make a positive point out of it, then I’m onboard with it. Especially in this particular case.
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This is a wonderful response to hate. So often we’re told just to ignore it but I don’t think that really helps. The haters and trolls of the world just amp up their game until we can’t ignore it anymore. Edmund Burke said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Why not respond with love and humor instead of participating in the circle of hate?
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Zazzy, I’ve always liked that quote, too. I agree with you that by ignoring the hate, it continues to grow unabated. But these artists have tackled the problem straight on– and in a way that makes me smile. My guess would be that haters don’t like it when their attempts at intimidation get turned into artsy cuteness.
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Love, love, love what these artists have done with a symbol of hate. It’s good that they do this with fun and love in their hearts. This would be an awesome worldwide undertaking to humorously cover up those symbols in a showing of peaceful solidarity. Thanks for sharing this story, Ally, and participating in #WATWB.
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bikerchick57, I like your idea for turning this anti-swastika art into a worldwide project. It’d send a good message about the limits of hateful symbols. Plus, all these revised swastikas are cute– and the world could use some more cute!
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Great find for this Friday, Ally! Love the way they are changing those hurtful signs into something friendlier. Definitely a different approach to an ugly problem.
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Janet, I watched the video and was taken by the practicalness of this approach: turn the hatefulness into friendliness. Kind of a cool way to handle a difficult subject.
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Hate into great – this is so wonderful and kudos to those artists who niftily took the hate out and gracefully changed it all .. I watched the video clip earlier and it is so creative. Great post Ally Bean thank you!
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Susan, when I first saw what the artists were doing I realized how easy it was for them to transform the swastikas into something better. Just wish that all forms of hate could be turned into something better so easily.
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These young people are true geniuses! I absolutely love their clever ideas. What a wonderful way to fight the hate!
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Beth, I thought this group of artists was delightful. You have to give it up for their creativity and determination. Wonder if their idea will take off in other parts of the world?
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I love this Ally. It’s brilliant and encouraging in itself, but I also think it helps us re-think the possibilities for transformation in other ways as well.
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Deborah, I agree. The transformative aspect of this anti-swastika art is what makes it great. These artists are the creative spark that our world needs, if it is to heal and become whole [again?].
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Awesomeness.
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I agree. Sometimes it’s the simplest actions that solve the problem.
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Well said.
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Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. I ❤️ this creative, collaborative, positive effort! Thanks for sharing this, Ally!
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Donna, it was the simplicity of this story that charmed me, I think. Amazing what can happen when people collaborate for good, isn’t it?
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These are adorable! I love that they didn’t just paint over them to leave another blank canvas. Can you imagine having your hate message turned into a goofy bunny? hahahha I love it.
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datmama4, I thought the same thing. There you are doing your hateful best to intimidate people, and you return to see your graffiti– only to find it cute-i-fied. Cannot imagine that goes over well with neo-Nazis. Oh well…
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Proof smiles work better than frowns!
Positive actions lead the way to a better world
Great find!
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philmouse, that really is what this story is all about! Such a small thing for these artists to do, but so important that they do it.
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I love that they are fighting hate with art. Hopefully those who paint swastikas will eventually give up and go home… or even better, decide to turn their hate into lovely art too.
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Janis, I’d be happy to learn that the haters had given up on their hate because these artists kept turning their swastikas into something clever. Now that would be a stupendously great story!
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Hi Ally – I hadn’t come across these artists before … what a great idea to turn negative graffiti into something positive – and so artistic … love it … cheers Hilary
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hilary, I’m in awe of these artists and how their ingenuity has helped make the world a kinder place. What’s not to love?
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A lovely idea and sorely needed these days. Both your posting and the redone graffiti.
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Margaret, aren’t you sweet! I like these artists and am glad that someone somewhere has found a good way to mitigate the negative impact of those swastikas.
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That is spectacular. I love the idea of fighting back with peace, humor, and kindness. Putting art skills to work like that must be so uplifting to those guys!
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Kate, I thought the same thing. The guys look like a smart + fun group of people who obviously have figured out a great way to fight back, with what they have, against a hateful symbol.
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I really like concept and style of what these Berliners are doing with graffiti. In a way it’s bit like what we do with WATWB, take the web canvas and place good where there is not so good. Thanks for sharing. Simon’s Still Stanza #WATWB
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simonfalk28, that’s a great way of explaining #WATWB. Smart thinking, both on your part and on how the graffiti artists have transformed hate. Thanks for stopping by to comment.
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