This year, UNESCO celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1972 World Heritage Convention under the theme ‘The Next 50: World Heritage as a source of resilience, humanity and innovation,’ inviting the world to imagine our relationship with, and responsibility for, heritage in the face of rising global challenges.
Schaefer and Jafri continue their epic journey with another twist. Jafri’s exhibition of World Heritage Sites, at the UNESCO HQ Great Hall will be displayed as sculptural artworks suspended from the ceiling, with the fuselage from the outer skin of a decommissioned Airbus A320-211 as his canvas; part of an upcycling initiative, aligning with Schaefer’s aim to exhibit art outside of the confines of the traditional Gallery Space. This Airplane, has travelled the world taking passengers to these sites for several decades and now, instead of being scrapped, it has a new life as Jafri’s twelve sculptural art works, celebrating those same sites and continuing the journey as an everlasting legacy for the cultural heritage of our world.
Through his exhibition during the European Heritage Days, Jafri aims to inspire the general public with a new meaning of the love and appreciation of our colorful and fragile world, rooted in his conviction that reflections, dialogues, empathy and collaborative efforts are needed for its conservation and for a better future for the children of our world. It is the first time the Collection will welcome pieces of Jafri’s Art Maze Collection for general viewing by the wider public.
Jafri, awarded by the UN for his humanitarian work and regarded as one of the world’s most important living Artists, aims through his work, to reconnect humanity to our cultural heritage, our ancestral past and the beauty that surrounds us within our natural world, as well as shine a light on the desperately needed conversations on sustainability, conservation, empathy, and compassion – his hope for a better future for our planet and ALL humanity.