A huge mural covering an area of 1,000 square meters was completed in Vienna’s UNO City on Thursday. The work, which has a message of peace, was initiated by the cultural association Calle Libre and implemented by the Australian street artist Fintan Magee.
The mural shows a dove of peace and a woman behind a glass wall – for Magee a symbol that peace is fragile and not something to be taken for granted. “I am lucky to have grown up in a democracy, I come from Australia. When I think of peace and human rights, I think of my privilege of not having to worry about these things,” said Magee in an interview with ORF. “I want to convey this message – as an artist, this is my small contribution.”The Australian had been working on the mural together with an assistant since June 10. 120 liters of paint were used. The art project was created through a collaboration between various UN organizations and the Viennese cultural association Calle Libre, which organizes the street art festival of the same name in Vienna.
We bring art to people, to residents and the city’s population, without walls, without an entrance ticket and democratically for everyone,” explained Jakob Kattner, artistic director of Calle Libre. “It is important to us that we not only beautify the city and decorate it in a nice way, but also bring important and relevant messages to society.”
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“We hope that this work of art will be a source of inspiration for promoting sustainability, understanding and peace around the world,” said Ghada Waly, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, in advance.
the photos credit: UNIS Vienna.
