“Seeds of culture” - an ART project for UNESCO

is an initiative of Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Diplomacy Hedva Ser and promotes the creative and artistic work of young artists from conflict regions while supporting UNESCO's values, such as peace promotion and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Through this project, launched in 2012, Hedva Ser organizes numerous exhibitions around the world to promote the work of these young artists and highlight the power of artistic expression.

In 2022, UNESCO Malta Art Camp has joined painters from 19 countries under one roof to work in the same studio. "Colors of peace" were embodied in various forms and images by artists from Brazil, Benin, Algeria, Austria, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Jordan, Latvia, Litva, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

What makes us different? Our values, traditions, way of thinking, and culture. What makes us human? The same stuff. THE UNESCO ART CAMP project was launched almost ten years ago in Andorra, and since that time, managed to create a unique collaboration experience for more than 600 artists across the globe.

“Seeds of Culture” - an artistic way to tell a story of diversity and collaboration.

Basically, it's a diptyque inspired by research and stories of Ukrainian migrants across Europe. The idea behind this is to show the transition and path from a primitive state to humans who write books, create art, build cities, cultivate plants and launch space missions. All of this is possible only with means of culture and collaboration between nations and citizens of different countries. To underline this, I use wheat (one of the oldest cultivated plants, a part of the plate almost everywhere in the world). Wheat seeds are colored in the hues of flags of all the countries (basically, it's only eight shades). Cultural interaction is also a key; today, scientists talk about 29 means or ways of collaboration and cultural exchange. That's why artworks are created in stamp technique - to literally illustrate exchanging process. ​​​​​​​​

UNESCO ART CAMP MALTA 2022: How it was

The project consists of an artistic experience and inevitable cultural exchange via cultural presentations made by the representative of each country, communication with the local community and kids at school.

Each country was represented in a unique way with a tint of personal experience. We all were working on the love at first sight effect by sharing our customs, favorite places, art & food stories. As an artist who works with color, I've presented Ukraine as a set of the most unbelievable colors that I truly love - pink salted lakes of Kherson, nigh lights of Kyiv, geometric abstractions of Sonia Delaunay, and hidden lake of Carpathian mountains.

A present follows each presentation to the UNESCO Malta team; being part of the hospital nation, I've started with a gift and a story behind it. My colleague and roommate from Latvia, Madara, switches off the light. And I turn on my candle to illustrate the power of culture for Ukrainians today - literally the blessing ray of light that gives hope, joins people, and allows them to feel the roots under their feet. The present from Ukraine is a unique book that collects embroiders from the western region of Ukraine, Bukovina, where my husband came from. It is a reprint of the 1912 edition created by an Austrian teacher who was so in love with Ukraine to collect customs and worked voluntarily at a local school.

One of the most favorite parts of the project - Community outreach at the nearby town of St. Paul (Bugibba district) and a secondary school visit. Community outreach is about interaction with locals in an artistic way - we paint and sketch together. My student is from a family of four in Rivne, Ukraine. Malta hosted them when the war started. So I enjoy speaking my native language and painting with 1.5 years old Timofii and his elder sister Sofia the angel:) They are so cute and interested in art stuff happening, especially enjoying calligraphy art class with Algerian artist Abdelkarim.

A school visit is an open discussion with 10-13 years old kids as long as collaborative work on an extra big canvas consists of 5 pieces. Each kid contributes his or her idea of peace. They all work in a different style; we show them techniques and instruments, enjoying sharing the studio.

The Art Camp Malta is finished, but collaboration between artists from 19 different countries has only started.

Special thanks to ART CAMP MALTA and Ukrainian National Commission for UNESCO.