Art and culture can both fuel and counter hate, UN discussion hears on Juneteenth
Art and Culture Can Both Fuel and Counter Hate, UN Juneteenth Forum Highlights
Art and culture can both fuel and counter hate, a theme central to a UN discussion held on Juneteenth that examined the power of creative expression in shaping societal divisions and fostering unity. The virtual event, titled “Art Remembers: Culture as Witness and Prevention,” brought together artists, historians, and activists to explore how art and culture serve as both instruments of division and tools of reconciliation. Participants emphasized the dual potential of artistic works to reflect historical injustices while also inspiring empathy and collective memory.
The Dual Role of Art in History and Memory
Speakers at the forum highlighted how cultural artifacts can preserve or distort historical narratives, often acting as a bridge between past and present. One example involved a gold collar once worn by an enslaved African, symbolizing both the brutality of domination and the resilience of identity. Similarly, a reconstructed hate radio broadcast and porcelain coffee cups displayed in public spaces illustrated how art can either amplify prejudice or offer a counter-narrative. These objects, as participants noted, hold the capacity to remind people of shared humanity even in the face of conflict.
“Hate speech is an early warning sign of atrocity crimes. It often precedes and accompanies crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide,” stated Chaloka Beyani, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. This insight underscored the urgency of using art and culture to challenge dehumanizing rhetoric and preserve historical truths.
Valika Smeulders, director of history at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, spoke about the tension between institutional legacies of domination and their potential to challenge them. She referenced the museum’s 2023 exhibition on Dutch colonial slavery, which showcased how enslaved women hid rice in their hair during the transatlantic trade. These acts, she argued, reveal the humanity behind historical trauma, ensuring names and agency are remembered. By integrating stories of oppression into broader historical contexts, art and culture can both reflect and reshape collective understanding.
Music as a Tool for Resistance and Remembrance
Nur Ben Shalom, an Israeli clarinetist and co-creator of “Melodies of Life,” drew on his great-aunt’s Holocaust-era letters to frame music as a form of resistance. His performances at Auschwitz Birkenau in southern Poland emphasized how melodies become a direct link to the past, preserving voices that might otherwise be lost. “Art is power—secret power, secret weapon, good weapon,” he said, highlighting music’s ability to reach the heart and reframe traumatic histories.
“Art is not neutral. It’s a force that can either fuel hatred or dismantle it,” Ben Shalom added, reflecting on the impact of his students’ performances at the site of genocide. This sentiment was echoed by Diogène “Atome” Ntarindwa, a Rwandan actor and playwright, who discussed the role of RTLM, the infamous “Radio Machete” station, in amplifying dehumanizing rhetoric before the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. As a witness to the events, he portrayed perpetrators in his play “Hate Speech,” using reconstructed broadcasts to expose the mechanisms of hatred.
Participants also noted the importance of connecting art to global struggles. Ntarindwa cited his visit to Auschwitz as a reminder of the need for solidarity, stating that “art becomes a kind of weapon when it confronts the mechanisms of hatred.” This interplay between local and international narratives demonstrates how art and culture can both fuel and counter hate, offering a universal language for healing and reflection.
Shared Rituals and Collective Healing
Aida Šehović, a Bosnian American artist, shared her project “ŠTO TE NEMA,” which uses thousands of traditional coffee cups to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. The installation, often paired with coffee-making rituals, transforms private grief into public remembrance. For survivors, the act of sharing coffee becomes a symbol of ongoing healing, bridging the gap between individual loss and collective resilience. Šehović’s work exemplifies how art and culture can both preserve painful memories and foster unity through shared practices.
The discussion also touched on the role of art in education and community engagement. By shifting memory from individual mourning to shared responsibility, Šehović’s project challenges the denial of historical atrocities. The event, aligned with the UN’s International Day for Countering Hate Speech, showcased how art and culture can bridge divides and preserve the truth of painful chapters in history. Through such initiatives, creative expression becomes a vital force in promoting understanding and preventing future conflicts.
As the forum concluded, attendees reaffirmed the importance of integrating art and culture into global efforts to combat hate. By recognizing their dual potential, societies can harness creative works to both reflect divisions and inspire reconciliation. This approach aligns with the UN’s broader mission to promote peace and human rights, proving that art and culture can both fuel and counter hate, depending on how they are wielded.