Call for entries
Apr 2012 01
Passion for Freedom Festival will comprise two exhibitions taking place from 3rd to 10th of November 2012 at the UNIT24 Gallery, 20 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0FD. The Festival will present selected works from artists and writers whose work is mainly concerned with human rights and freedom of expression.
  1. Eligibility
  2. Entry Procedure
  3. How to register
  4. Key dates
  5. Exhibition details

 

One Law for All’s Fourth Edition of “Passion for Freedom” Art Competition

OPEN TO ALL ARTISTS

The event promotes freedom and equal rights for all citizens and secularism.

Artistic expression as embodied by emblematic statement “One law for all” will focus on exposing the discriminatory nature of religious based tribunals and encouraging equal rights. We invite artists to create works that encourage open discussion on subjects that may be skillfully omitted in politically correct circles.

“The are regimes afraid of artists, but artists are not afraid of regimes” KM Curator

[ Read more ]

Steve Rosenthal: painting with Gaydar Profile pictures
Dec 2011 16

Polari Magazine 16 Dec 2011 by Christopher Bryant and Bryon Fear

Rosenthal was given the Passion for Freedom Visitor’s Choice Award in October 2011 for his series, We do not have homosexuals like in your country. In our country we do not have this. In Iran this phenomenon does not exist. This work tells the story of two teenage boys, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni, from northeastern Iran, who were executed for committing homosexual acts. The pictures themselves are, remarkably, constructed from the profile pictures from Gaydar profiles. Polari met Steve to talk about his work, and conducted the interview stood in front of a picture of the boys just moments before they were hanged.

[ Read more ]

2011 Exhibition
Nov 2011 28

26 artists from 12 different countries.

Many people are waiting patiently in front of the gallery. Everybody wants to get in, the rest are watching the movie through the massive glass window. The hall is full. On the podium the winner [ Read more ]

Dziennik Polski
Nov 2011 20

PIOTR GULBICKI

Pasja wolności

Prześladowania. Za poglądy polityczne, re­ligijne, obyczajowe… W wielu zakątkach świata to ciągle norma. – Stało się plagą, że politycy nie zajmują się tym, czym powinni. Na szczęście są artyści, którzy nie boją się totalitarnych reżimów, dla których możliwość swobodnej wypowiedzi jest jak po­wietrze – mówią orga­nizatorzy londyńskiego festiwalu „Passion for Freedom”.

Malarstwo, instalacja, rzeź­ba, rysunek, grafika… Różne techniki, różne formy arty­stycznego wyrazu. I wspólny mianownik – sprzeciw wobec cenzury, wyrażający się w dą­żeniu do nieskrępowanego wyrażania swoich przekonań. W różnych dziedzinach, na różnych płaszczyznach. Nie od dziś wiadomo, że sztuka prze­łamuje tabu. [ Read more ]

Polish Cultural Institute
Oct 2011 15

Polish Artists are braking the last taboo

Private View: Saturday 29 October 2011, 18.00 – 21.00 hours
29 October – 5 November, Mon – Wed 8.00am – 6pm, Thur – Fri 8.00 am – 6.30pm
UNIT24 Gallery
20 Great Guildford Street
London SE1 0FD
FREE

Whilst artists are considered free to express themselves here in the west, many face huge amounts of pressure for addressing matters deemed ‘offensive’, particularly when it comes to Islam. Artist Sooreh Hera in the Netherlands and artists Lee-Anne Raymond and Demetrios Vakras in Melbourne, Australia come to mind, raising serious questions about tolerance of dissent.

Clearly, criticism of religion is not racist. In fact open disagreement and the freedom to criticise tradition, culture and religion are essential for social progress. This must be a reason why Polish artists speak out during Passion for Freedom 2011 London Festival. Last year’s edition presented works of Golden Medallist at Warsaw Poster Biennale; Maja Wolna and award winning documentary ‘Little Bride’ by Leszek Dobrucki. [ Read more ]