peace beyond dates

As Mary Jane wrote in her latest entry, the project for Peace is 'never - ever - over'. The 21 of September is a symbol, not a limit or a compulsory formality. So I hope you won't mind my posting the flags for peace created by our Spanish group 'Roots' today, on the 23rd. They set them flying on Friday, 21 September in the morning and I only got the photographs yesterday.

This is the Medieval stone bridge leading to the Town Hall of Valderrobres, where our ten flags are flying now and till the end of October.

As you can see, hanging the flags required some climbing skills! The intrepid Lilianne Cantó went up the ladder to hang her installation, an Earth globe made from barbed wire with branches of olive tree inside and a foam pigeon holding an olive branch in its beak.

The rest of the flags awaited their turn on the stone floor of La Lonja.

And then everyone got busy...

And the flags came alive...

Birgit Ploessner is a German painter who recently moved to Spain. Her lively blue flag is her first collaboration with our Group.

There is a poem written in German on her flag. I am really sorry that I cannot translate it.

Jordi Ferrer's flag installation depicts the contrast between the opposing forces of Peace and Conflict, symbolized by the white/blue and dark red colours.

Jordi is a graffiti artist, a video artist and a photographer. He was also the one who took these shots and our thanks go out to him through this blog too.

Ángel Vilamajó painted his flag on canvas and he didn't go about it the easy way!

The difference in styles and media speaks of a cheerful, bright dedication to the idea of Peace.

Jordi's dog. Not an artist but sooo peaceful!

Esther Hofmann is a Swiss painter who chose to live in this part of Spain with her husband. Isn't this coexistence of people with different nationalities a sign of peace in itself?

My own flag among the others.

 Silvia Sanmiquel's letter installation. It says 'peace is freedom'.

Francesca Payera's flag with the word 'PAU' on the background. 'Pau' is Catalan for Peace.
Ángel Vilamajó and Francesa Payeras run the beautiful 'Mas Marianets', a country
house and art centre that I blogged about here.

Ana Carreras' deliberately naïve flag, a world of joy and colour.

And the completed installation.

The Medieval building of the Town Hall relates Peace to History, our cultural backgrounds, the passage of time and what we all learn from it.

first flag from Spain

I have been posting from Spain as a member of a group of artists called 'Roots'. However, the first Flag I can show you here was not made by a member of our group at all but by Montse Romagosa, a jewelry designer gone sculptor from Barcelona (230 kms from here). The beautiful photographs were taken by Àlvar Caixal.

Montse visits the area regularly, she has a house here in Beceite, and she liked the idea of the 2012 Project from the very beginning. She is a member of another group of artists called Land Art Associació Catalunya.

So her first contribution to the Flags for Peace Project is placed on the ground, on a piece of land. This piece of sculpture is not very large or heavy and she means to hang it in a public place for 21 September. I'd love it to be near the ten flags of our Group.

The piece is titled 'Peace and Freedom' and it is made with recycled materials, mainly iron and rope. The iron grid represents Freedom.

The same figure placed in a different location. I'm not sure where (I forgot to ask!) but the surroundings look a lot like anywhere around here.

'Peace and Freedom' resting on rows of roof tiles made of clay. I think it's a 'she'. What do you think?

P.S. Mary Jane, I thought this work would appeal to you, I hope it does!

how things that are so simple

path to nirvana - ancient thai symbol

can become so complex... 


peace and love, at their core, are pure and simple... yet humans seem to corrupt them with their baggage... but i guess that's what makes us human...


coming from center, moving our way out of fears, habits, patterns, desires that can hold us back from those pure states of being


we diligently work


to be set free...