The Bogside Artists Have Returned Home Triumphantly After Completing Their Mural For The Village Of Vordernberg In Austria

Released on: October 6, 2011, 2:09 pm
Author: Tom Kelly/The Bogside Artists
Industry: Entertainment

The mural is part of the Art-of-Reconciliation program, the vision of Irishman Desmond Doyle and Austrian Hannes Misseton. Both men have been involved in Austria's cultural and political life for many years. Art-of-Reconciliation is their vision for using art to bridge the gap between warring creeds and ideologies that have given rise to so much ethnic conflict and unrest in Europe. Nobel Laureate John Hume who fully supports the project and ex-Bishop Edward Daly addressed the citizens of Vordernberg via video, Mr. Hume emphasizing the need to implement a political strategy tailored to promote the acceptance of differences and Fr. Daly reiterating the Christian message of brotherhood in Christ. Both men extolled the work and vision of fellow Derry men, The Bogside Artists whose gallery of murals in The Bogside area of their home town is one of the major tourist draws in Europe and considered one of the most significant art sites in the world.

The entire village turned out for the event and with choir and band presented a stirring musical prelude to it. The Duchess of Montrose unveiling the mural spoke of her friendship with one of the artists, Tom Kelly and his wife Michelle. Her husband the Duke was also present. The Duchess pointed out that given their long experience of conflict at home there were few people more qualified than The Bogside Artists to kick off such a project.

The mural depicts the general apathy with regards to the incipient New World Order much touted recently by politicians and others around the world, notably Tony Blair, Berlusconi, George Brown, Barack Obama, Henry Kissinger and George Bush. Said artists' spokesman Tom Kelly, “our mural simply points to the necessity for a faith in something beyond politics and technology. The butterfly emblem we took from the Annette McGavigan mural called The Death of Innocence. This theme is echoed here in this mural where you have a young child trying to alert her family to imminent danger and is ignored by them because they are so engrossed in their techno-gadgetry. It is a metaphor therefore for our present state. What we should be doing is questioning what exactly this NOW is, who is behind it? How will it be brought about? Who has to gain by it? And so on. Nobody seems to be asking any serious questions about any of it. Going with the flow is not a wise course of action for any of us under the circumstances. That is what our mural is about.”

The Bogside Artists' mural is one of several murals they intend to paint in Europe under the auspices of the Art-of-Reconcilation program. You can find out more about that from their website http://www.art-of-reconciliation.com and from the Facebook pages.

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