‘Tolerance’ poster show comes to Zim

A global travelling poster show initiative dubbed e Tolerance Project, opens today in Harare at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ), in recognition of International Day for Tolerance.

Founded and curated by artist-activist Mirko Ilić, the initiative showcases posters designed by renowned designers from around the world whose only direction is to illustrate the word “tolerance” in their native language. e show utilises the unique power of design to remind us what humanity has in common.

According to tolerance-project.org, the project is dedicated to reaching people who don’t ordinarily visit galleries or museums.

e Bosnian-born designer was inspired to launch the Tolerance Project following the “House of Tolerance” film festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2017. He then approached 28 artists, asking them to design posters about tolerance with the sole condition that they use the word "tolerance" in their mother tongue.

After a successful 10-day show in Ljubljana, Mirko decided to tour the posters globally. Now, whenever the “Tolerance Project” appears in a new city, local designers contribute to the show’s ever-expanding catalogue of artworks.

Posters are delivered digitally to curators, who then print the materials themselves.

Celebrated design educator and cultural fundi, Saki Mafundikwa, together with filmmaker and graphic designer Chaz Mavhiyane Davis, are the only designers invited from Africa. e two were among 20 designers of the tolerance poster in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2017.

“I accepted Mirko’s invitation because the concept and idea of tolerance is one that I subscribe to in my daily life. If there was more tolerance there wouldn’t be as many wars and so much strife in the world. I dream and long for a world full of tolerance,” Mafundikwa said.

He has been involved in similar international exhibitions in Rio di Janeiro and South Korea.

e Tolerance Project arrives in Zimbabwe having toured more than 40 countries all over the world, including Peru, Albania, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Italy and Colombia, where it has spread a message of social acceptance to over 300 000 people. Out of the about 500 pieces that have been showcased globally, only 42 would be on display at the gallery.

Speaking to IndependentXtra, curator for contemporary art at NGZ, Fadzai Muchemwa, said: “We are looking to start a conversation about what communities can do to be inclusive and to be diverse.

One of the things that we have been aiming to do as a gallery is using creative works as a springboard to start such conversations.”

e show is expected to be on display for the next three months.