Full statement: Why art has the power of changing the world

I am convinced that by bringing us together to share and discuss critically, a work of art can make us more tolerant of difference and of one another. The encounter with art – and with others over art – can help us identify with one another, expand our notions of we, and show us that individual engagement in the world has actual consequences. That’s why I hope that in the future, art will be invited to take part in discussions of social, political, and ecological issues even more than it is currently and that artists will be included when leaders at all levels, from the local to the global, consider solutions to the challenges that face us in the world today.

Full statement on weforum.org

Azimut by Raul Walch. The title comes from the Arabic "azimuth" meaning "paths"

The title “Azimut” comes from the Arabic word “azimuth” and can be described as “paths”. In astronomy, it is the angle between the meridian plane and vertical plane defining the height of a star. Whether interpreted as a path, as an arch or as a bridge, “Azimut” describes connections that Raul Walch introduces in the context of his exhibition at Kunstverein Arnsberg.

Raul Walch developed and tested series of “rescue kites” together with children and adults at the Greece border. His rescue kites are a type of flying lighthouses and can serve as solar reflectors, as a marker to attract attention of coast guards and be used to locate and rescue a shipwrecked person. The materials are found on site in the camps and their surroundings: the PVC of boats, tent poles, tent fabrics, and the reflectors of lifejackets. The azimut rescue kites fly with the wind, across the borders, the fences and the barbed wire, thus “Azimut” signals hope of freedom.