WORDS Amelia Brown
The global travelling exhibition Tolerance comes to Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, from 16 – 31 July 2018. The timing of an exhibition that promotes acceptance and understanding is befitting of the Mandela Centenary.
The name and central theme was chosen as a universal call for empathy and fortitude through art. The idea behind the travelling show, which is spearheaded by Bosnian designer and comic artist Mirko Ilić (who has worked as an art director for the New York Times and is best known for his radical political comics and illustrations), is to spread a simple message of humanity.
Requiring as little infrastructure as possible, the exhibition has appeared in Austria, Croatia, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Spain, USA, Holland, Turkey, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, with upcoming shows in Finland and Russia. Prominent designers from around the world are invited to create a poster by interpreting the word “tolerance” in their own language. The result is a body of work that is constantly evolving and growing. A new artist is added from each city in which it appears.
The latest additions have been made by Art Chantry (an American graphic designer famous for posters and album covers for artists such as Mudhoney, Mono Men, Soundgarden and The Sonics) and Holger Matthies (a German poster designer with strong political messaging). South African graphic designers Brandt Botes and Garth Walker have also made contributions, which will be on display in Joburg and will form part of the travelling exhibition.
The exhibition has been brought to South Africa via Design Indaba, and kicked off in February this year at the Design Indaba Festival in Cape Town before travelling to the KZNSA Gallery in Durban. Mirko is a former speaker on the Design Indaba Conference programme. When the exhibition closes, the posters will be donated to the design department of a local tertiary institution.
Visitors to Constitution Hill can gain free access to the exhibition by citing the word “tolerance” at the main entrance reception desk. For more information on The Tolerance Travelling Poster Show, visit Design Indaba.