We invite you to visit the Liu Lobby Gallery’s latest photography exhibition, “Dialogues on Humanity,” a space to explore the impact of global crises on humanity’s future.
Exhibit date is November 20 – January 10
About the Exhibit:
The Liu Lobby Gallery presents the “Dialogues on Humanity” contemporary art exhibition. Developed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Photo Elysée Museum in Lausanne, and the ICRC, this exhibition offers a reflective space for contemplating humanity’s changing values in the face of global crises. Through a unique combination of photography and a Swiss digital platform powered by AI, the exhibition encourages visitors to engage in discussions about humanitarian principles and the future of humanity. Rather than focusing solely on images of despair from crises and conflicts, “Dialogues on Humanity” provides a space for thought, empathy, and conversation.
Commitment of a Country, a Humanitarian Organisation and a Museum
Photo Elysée Museum
As a museum for photography, we want to challenge the parallelism between art and the Humanitarian Principles and recognise that these principles reach beyond natural disasters as well as wars and are oblivious to age, gender, culture and language. They are equally present in the details of everyday life. Moreover, we consider photography a powerful and relevant medium to offer new perspectives and different representations that echo with societies and the universal issues they raise. In the digital age, many artists challenge new images in their practices. The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to view the Humanitarian Principles from different angles. As a collection, these photographs remind us not only of the diversity of human experience and the daily presence of humanitarian acts, but also of the versatility and power of the image to convey them.
Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs
While the Humanitarian Principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality and Independence are rooted in Swiss history, they are now more relevant than ever. Indeed, in an increasingly complex and polarised humanitarian environment, principled humanitarian action continues to make a difference in effectively preventing suffering as well as accessing and serving populations in need. We can strengthen these principles by constantly reaffirming and demonstrating their value; by fostering their understanding; and by supporting all actors to implement them. With this art project we want to raise awareness of what it means to apply the Humanitarian Principles not only to humanitarian action, but also to our everyday lives.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC is committed to this project as it engages on the four Humanitarian Principles in a different way. It expands the horizon and shows the parallels between art and humanitarian action. The message and essence of the Humanitarian Principles are common and remain undeniably universal. However, the prisms of reading are different from one individual to another; from one situation to another; and from one culture to another. Overall, photography offers a fantastic opportunity to open a necessary dialogue at a time when our attention spans are dramatically decreasing.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular building hours, 9am – 5pm. It is located in the Lobby on the first floor.
Curated by Ellinee Nelson.
