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NO POINTS DAY - Non Violence


NO POINTS DAY - Non Violence
Photo Information
Copyright: Viviane Faguay (Porteplume) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1849 W: 651 N: 500] (3078)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-06
Categories: Artwork
Camera: Fuji FinePix S602Zoom
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 2008 NO POINTS DAY - Peace in the World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-07-01 3:35
Viewed: 575
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I do not upload a lot these days because of personal matters but a "No Points Day" and a subject as Peace made me convinced that I should today... ;o)

Non violence and The Knotted Gun

There are currently more than 30 ongoing wars or conflicts worldwide. But some people are working on it. In case they succeed in ending these, we will have plenty of symbols and signs to disclose the achievement. Pictures of a dove with an olive branch, the CND sign by Gerard Holtom, the new interpretation of the victory-sign hand gesture, or the “Pace” rainbow flag, there’s much to chose from. But there’s one more symbol, whose presence is slowly spreading all around the world.

*** In 1980 Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created an artwork, known as “Non violence” or “The knotted gun”, for reasons described as follows:

When the artist learned that his friend, John Lennon, had been murdered, he became so upset and angry over this senseless death and the many other outbursts of unnecessary violence that he went to his studio and started working on the “non-violence” project. “My first sketches in three dimensions were rather rough and simple, but the important thing was that the idea of the knotted barrel was with me from the very start,” he said.

The swedish artist produced different variations of the piece, the most famous being the sculpture installed in 1985 in Malmo/Sweden. It consists of a large replica in bronze of a 45-calibre revolver, the barrel of which is tied into a knot. The gun is cocked, but the knot makes it clear that it will not shoot.

Replicas of the sculpture have been installed in many countries since then, one being in New York/USA at the Grounds of the United Nations. It was one of the first three versions of the sculpture, bought by the Luxembourg government and offered to the UN in 1988. It was said then that:

"With Non-Violence, Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd has not only endowed the Untited Nations with a cherished work of art; he has enriched the consciousness of humanity with a powerful symbol. It is a symbol that encapsulates, in a few simple curves, the greatest prayer of man: that which asks not for victory, but for peace."

Other replicas can be found in:

• Luxembourg/Luxembourg, on Kirchberg in front of the Jean Monnet Building. It is the third of the original three sculptures, the other two being in Malmo and New York. Pictures on this site.
• Berlin/Germany at the parc of the federal chancellery. It was unveiled in 2005 by chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who received it from Reuterswärd in recognition of his Iraq policy (english articles about the unveiling here and here, german background article here, picture here)
• Caen/France at the Mémorial de Caen, a world war II museum close to the disembarkments in Normandy. Unveiled in 2005. (pictures of the “canon noué” can be seen here and here, article here)
• Cape Town/South Africa at the entrance to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront. It was unveiled in 1999 when the government announced its stringent new gun conrol legislation. (pictures here and here)
• Liverpool/UK, in Cavern Walks shopping centre, next door to the original site of the famous Cavern Club in Mathew Street where the Beatles played in their early days together. It was unveiled in 2000 by Dr Michael Nobel, then head of the Nobel family society and chairman of the Non-Violence Foundation.
• Lausanne/Switzerland at the Olympic Museum (picture here)
• Stockholm/Sweden
• Miami/USA
• Göteborg/Sweden
Reuterswärd wrote later that humor was the finest instrument to bring people together. While making his peace symbol, he thought of adding a touch of humor to make his “weapon” symbolically ridiculous and completely out of order.A flickr set of this remarkable John Lennon memorial can be found here, including sculptures and sketches.

If you know about other places where the sculpture can be found, feel free to let me know...

[Text from Assisted Thinking]
jrj, John_F_Kennedy, dino94, edytungkal, Sne011, maltese, pablominto, marion44, hrschwartz, maloutim, UnTrained has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  •      
  • jrj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5517 W: 498 N: 7281] (33096)
  • [2008-07-01 3:44]

Good to see you under this theme Viviane - and with an interesting contribution - this well known symbol of this gun.
-----------------------------------------------

(Presently I'm in a very peaceful place, spending some days in a fine summer weather up in our mountain place (some times since your and Chris' visit now..). Using a little time on the camp Vadsetdansen where there is a broad band connection in the restaurant..)

A nice contribution to this theme. Thanks
Best wishes,
Achim

  •      
  • Pascale Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 879 W: 130 N: 1041] (8095)
  • [2008-07-01 4:10]

Bonjour Viviane
Oui pour ce symbole très fort .
Une photo ,on ne peut plus appropriée au thème.Amicalement
Pascale

  •      
  • CMJC Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 356 W: 39 N: 127] (1710)
  • [2008-07-01 5:19]

si tous les révolvers pouvaient être ainsi hors service !

  •      
  • dino94 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 61 W: 72 N: 109] (426)
  • [2008-07-01 6:46]

Bonjour Viviane,

cette sculpture est un hyme pour la paix, dommage que tout les revolvers ne soit pas fabriquer de la même manière.

Love and peace, Dino.

  •      
  • Sne011 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 134 W: 5 N: 191] (753)
  • [2008-07-01 7:35]

Very good note Viviane, I think this is one of the best contribution to this theme today!

Sneza

  •      
  • maltese Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3032 W: 320 N: 3536] (17552)
  • [2008-07-01 8:43]

Bonsoir Viviane
Tu rajoutes une belle touche d'humour au thème du jour!!
Toujours content de te voir poster, amicalement
Hervé

  • Great 
  • molla Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 624 W: 85 N: 758] (5168)
  • [2008-07-01 9:23]

thank you for showing this excellent symbol for what we all thinking.
may peace be with you
Anders

Hello Viviane,

This artwork has a strong symbolism, and fits perfectly for the theme!
Well done, and a fine note...

Have a peaceful day!
Pablo -

Bonsoir Viviane,
Excellente cette sculpture!
Elle colle parfaitement au thème du jour, merci pour ta contribution.
Cordialement,
Marianne

  •      
  • faubry Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3602 W: 358 N: 4335] (28236)
  • [2008-07-01 15:28]

bonjour Viviane, je suis heureuse de voir une photo de ta part, très bonne idée de contribution pour ce jour special sur tE;
à bientôt j'espère, de cette façon, plutôt que des recommandations.. hihi
amicalement
francine

Bonjour Viviane,
Je n'avais pas du tout connaissance de l'artiste ni de ses oeuvres... Celle-ci est carrément géniale, on dirait un dessin de presse en 3D ! Une photo qui colle aussi à la dramatique actualité de ces jours-ci en France... non les armes ne sont pas des jouets de parade...
Merci pour cette contribution si symbolique,
Marion

  •      
  • maloutim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 682 W: 156 N: 880] (2498)
  • [2008-07-02 23:51]

Bonjour Viviane!
Contente de trouver ta photo dans ce thème. Bien qu'ayant visité Malmö, je n'y ai pas vu cette sculpture. Par contre, il me semble qu'elle existe aussi à New York , à Central Park et aux Nations Unies.
Merci de nous faire partager cette photo: En plus du symbole de la Paix, j'aime bien l'Harmonie des couleurs : Rouge de la pierre et de la brique contre le joli bleu du ciel, et ce canon neutralisé qui semble justement se tourner vers un ciel de paix!
Amicalement.
MarieLouise.

Salut Viviane,
so you found a worldwide repetition for a peace symbol with that handgun out of order. Good note as addition and a top contribution to that theme.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

bonsoir

bonne idée que cette prise de vue pour la paix et la non violence

Arnaud

  •      
  • j-mune Silver Star Critiquer [C: 31 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-08-20 11:14]

Madame Porte plume
C'est avec regrets que je constate que le cadrage n'est pas au top.
L'arriere plan est flou!
Ciao
Yvon Charles

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