eL Seed 2: A project of peace, painted across 50 buildings

  (Manshiyat Naser in Egypt)

TED 2016

eL Seed 2: A project of peace, painted across 50 buildings (transcript)

Summary

I would never forget the last scene in this TED talk where

the 50 buildings with Arabic characters written on them were shown one after another, they became one figure and the complete art appeared. You can watch how 50 buildings have been changed by being painted, and how the dispersed arts become the one art.

Moreover, what was changed was not only buildings and people in the community but also the speaker’s perception.

First, he had the humanist intentions that are beautifying a poor and neglected neighborhood by bringing art to them and hopefully shining light on this isolated community. He just wanted to challenge himself artistically by painting over several buildings and having only fully visible from one point on the mountain.

However, he noticed that it was wrong that the community was poor, neglected and dirty. They were the ideal context and there were the only differences between the community and him. Others just thought that the place was decidedly dirty because of association with the trash. The true purpose was about switching perception and opening a dialogue on the connection with the community that people don't know.

The project and the work with people in the community taught these things to him and us.

His art became the project of peace and unity that brought people together.

Words in this story
anamorphosis / a gradual, ascending progression or change of form to a higher type.