It feels like the world is in absolute chaos right now, especially here in the U.S. following the violence on display in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend. Now, more than ever, the country is in need of images of peace.
Sid Lee Collective and MASSIVart want designers, creatives and illustrators to help create these new symbols of peace so the duo launched the “Posters for Peace” competition. The competition itself is an interesting concept and one that is sure to bring a lot of powerful images to the forefront, but the video announcing the competition is especially thought-provoking.
“We wanted people to engage and we wanted people to participate and say what they wanted to say about the less than optimal state of things in the world,” Thierry Faucher, copywriter at Sid Lee, said. The flower-power style illustration (done by Thomas Hedger) feels all lovey-dovey until images of war, violence and protest make their way onto the screen. It’s completely jarring, but also completely brilliant.
“We wanted to give a brief out and challenge people to give us their best definition of peace and what we realized is we’re not even sure what peace is or what peace looks like. One of the thought starters was, how can we really say what peace is if we’ve never really known peace at all?” Faucher added.
Designers have until Sept. 1 to submit their posters.
In the coming weeks, a jury will select 50 winning entries. Those winners will have their work displayed at the Bed-In for Peace event in Montreal on Sept, 21. The Bed-In for Peace celebrates John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace in 1969.
“While recreating Suite 1742 at the Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, where John Lennon and Yoko held their Bed-In for Peace in 1969, we realized that we wanted to bring back that powerful cry for peace, and make it far-reaching,” Philippe Demers of MASSIVart, said. “Posters for Peace uses art and design to bring attention to the peace movement, which is still alive and well.”
