Borders and Barriers

‘Borders and Barriers’ is an art exhibition by Marcel Baaijens from New Zealand. Marcel is serving as the 7th Bridge Guard at the Bridge Guard Art and Science residency in Sturovo. The exhibition illustrates his attempts of building bridges using art as a connective medium between:
1. The children from the local orphanage and him self,
2. The children and each child’s authentic self,
3. The children and the people of Sturovo.

For the first and second bridge Marcel invited two children at a time into his art studio to make art. Thirty-two children took up the challenge. Most children would initially draw pictures with three blue clouds and a yellow sun. Such pictures have little to do with art or creativity but all with conformity.

Marcel then used his art facilitation skills to draw out a more personal picture with a unique individual quality. His approach, which is founded on ‘Critical Pedagogy’, is radically different from traditional art education offered through the school system. It is an individual approach based on the following two simple yet essential assumptions:
1. Everyone is creative.
2. There are no mistakes in art.

In order to engage in art, or any form of creative thinking, people need a safe environment and permission to connect with their authentic selves. Generally children and adults are discouraged from connecting with their authentic selves. This is especially true for children who are raised in institutional settings where they are cared for and managed in groups. Discipline, compliance, and the comfort of the carers/managers and the group often come before the interest and needs of the individual and determine what children can or cannot explore in life. In such settings it is easy loose one’s unique identity, one’s self esteem and faith.

Offering each child the opportunity to create art in the studio with Marcel has been a unique experience for many of the children, one Marcel hopes they will remember whenever they have to make important choices in life. Creativity is a crucial skill for navigating life. It is all about making the best choices for oneself, without creative thinking, one will default to conformity. In doing so one’s Soul is denied expression.When the Soul is denied expression, apathy and depression set in.

There is much apathy and depression present among people who have been oppressed by an authoritarian regime such as communism. Communism discouraged people from being authentic, connecting with one’s Soul and with other Souls. The regime is gone but the effects it had on people such as sub-conscience, internalised xenophobia have not. Xenophobia, the dislike or fear of foreign people, their customs and culture is still present and effects people like gypsies, gays, children in an orphanage, a visiting artist from New Zealand, Jews, Muslims, etc.

Sub-conscience xenophobia can easily transform into hate, which easily transforms into aggression. Xenophobia is an invisible sub-conscience barrier that is much harder to recognise and overcome than any visible state border or natural barrier such as the Danube. Becoming conscious of the existence of a barrier, by naming it or making it visible is a first important step in overcoming it. How else does one learn why and where a bridge is needed?

Installation, 5x3,5 m, paper, tape, digital images on paper.

Marcel employs the metaphor of the siege of Troy to make this barrier visible. The city wall of Troy was an insurmountable barrier that was overcome with creative thinking. The Maria Valeria Bridge has been rebuild, the national borders opened, but an invisible ‘Trojan’ sub-conscience barrier of xenophobia still survives today in post communist Eastern Europe. Becoming conscious of the existence of a barrier, by naming it or making it visible is a first important step in overcoming it.

Detail of the Trojan Horse with portraits of the children from the orphanage.

The third bridge that Marcel attempts to build consists of paper horses. Horses, decorated by the children of the orphanage and himself that will be strategically displayed in the heart of Sturovo. It is not a trick as in Troy to win a war, but a genuine attempt to raise awareness as well as an invitation to the people of Sturovo to take a closer look at the exhibition titled ‘Borders and Barriers’. The exhibition will feature artwork by the children from the orphanage, illustrations of the transformative process the children experienced and Trojan horses addressing issues of xenophobia.

Detail of the Trojan Horse with images of barriers in Sturovo.

The exhibition will open on Friday 13 April, 5:00 p.m. and can also be viewed Saturday 14 April 10:00-5:00. The Trojan Horses are on display in the centre of Sturovo from 5 April till 15 April.

A Trojan Horse decorated by Mario (r) in a local bar.