Finally! After being postponed many times due to the pandemic, the artist Saype and his team, accompanied by representatives at the highest level of the UN and Switzerland, were able to inaugurate, on September 18th, a gigantic fresco (11’000 square meters) painted on the North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in New York. The fresco, a gift from Switzerland to the UN for the organization's 75th anniversary, was created with an eco-friendly paint made of water, chalk and charcoal. In the end, it was actually unveiled just a couple of days after the launch of the Common Agenda by Secretary-General António Guterres. What better way to illustrate the challenges and ambitions of the UN than by representing two children working together to build the world of tomorrow?
Indeed, both the UN and Switzerland are calling for a world that shows greater solidarity: "The time has come to commit to better global governance, to more justice and peace," said Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). "The children represented in "World in Progress II" are shaping the future of us all", said the Secretary-General, who also reminded the audience that the Common Agenda he had just launched proposed new ways for decision-makers to better serve young people and future generations.
The final word goes to the artist: "We live very different lives but on the same planet and it is our common responsibility to take care of it. And I really think that art can be part of the solution. Some people use words to express themselves. In my case, I use chalk and charcoal”.
Have a look at the pictures of the artwork’s inauguration in the presence of UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, here.
Saype at work on the North Lawn. Photo credit: Valentin Flauraud for Saype.
In the middle of NYC, the two children are building the world of tomorrow. Photo credit: Valentin Flauraud for Saype.
