‘AKA Peace’ feat. real AK47s for fundraiser at the ICA
Guns have always proved to be a great alternative canvas for artists and now, to raise money for Peace One Day’s Global Truce Foundation 2013, a selection of AK47s have been decommissioned and transformed by some top name artists – the YBA gang included. Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Charming Baker, Stuart Semple, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Sarah Lucas and Sam Taylor-Wood, Charming Baker, Antony Micallef, Gavin Turk and Jeremy Deller amongst others, will all lend their creative hands to the guns, to mark the protest against global violence. Turning the most recognisable tool of death into an artwork, the aim is to recast the AK47 and it’s association with devastation in to a conduit of peace. The show entitled AKA Peace aims to raise more anti-violence awareness in conjunction with Peace One Day.
Man with the AK47 plan: Bran Symondson
Ex-Afghanistan soldier and photographer, Bran Symondson conceived the idea after his experiences on the frontline.
Jake Chapman will curate the show and below are some of the examples of AK47 reworkings.
by Charming Baker
by Damien Hirst
Man and a gun: Antony Micallef
by Salonge Azagury Partridge
Charming Baker + gun
Photograph by Bran Symondson (from The Best View Of Heaven Is From Hell!)
Exhibition runs from 26th – 30th September 2012 at Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH.
One Peace Day is on 21st September 2012.
The auction will be held by Philips de Pury & Company, London on 4th October 2012.