Free Voices: “We are all people.” 100 artists speak one voice

Art Exhibitions are usually made up of a number of art pieces from either one or different persons. But the Dockland Library will on Sunday witness a move away from this tradition, as a piece created by 100 artists will be on exhibition launching October 7 at 2pm – Gallery, Level 1, Library at The Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands.

Dubbed “Asylum Silk Roads” coming from an ancient network of trade routes that were central to cultural interaction due to trade between Europe and Asia, the exhibitions extends the Silk Road to Australia.

It showcases the different cultures and customs of the asylum seekers and refugees who participated in making the art piece for over six months.

It’s a piece that exhibits social creativity as well as helping the broader community recognise asylum seekers as active participants in any society, Australia inclusive.

“It’s the final outcome of a six-month art project with different organisations in Melbourne with an aim of showing that the people who migrated or are seeking asylum are also exchanging culture and spreading love and harmony wherever they go,” said Youbi Utopia one of the organisers.

Organised by the Melbourne Artists for Asylum Seekers, workshops were held at the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre in Footscray, Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre, Lentara Uniting Care and Ceres Fair Food.

Azizeh Khademim (Creative director) and Mahla Karimiyan (Production designer) taught the artists how to create stencil prints and enabled them to tell their different stories to the world through the 20m long art piece.

N. Katende for Free Voices