GREEN FAITH, 2013 

Led by Diana Gilon at Boston University, recycled magazines, wire, religious text, 12ftx11ft

This project was part of a larger exhibition and collaboration between Boston University's, Sustainability Department and their Fine Arts department called Alternative Visions/Sustainable Futures.  In the exhibition, art and environmental initiatives intertwined.  It was held in Boston Universities 808 gallery, a giant space that was previously a car dealership.   

This Green Faith project was part of a student run lecture series and forum being held inside the space during the exhibition entitled ECOconversations.   The theme of the artwork dealt specifically with the idea of faith and how it relates to environmental responsibility.  The art, a massive wall hanging, was made of twisted magazine pages around wire and tiny excerpts of religious texts from a variety of religions.  The composition of the wall hanging was inspired by a bar graph of the global carbon emissions over the past three decades and by artwork of the Nigerian artist El Anatsui. 

The entire initiative came together because of enormous efforts from the students who planned and organized the bulk of the event, many of them working the entire week with never-ending passion and energy.  Students from BU’s Jewish Social Action club and the THEcology club led the project, collecting used magazines, promoting the event, gathering religious texts from the community and getting volunteers to help construct the artwork. Many students, not only from Boston University, but also from the neighboring Universities such as Tufts and Northeastern worked late into the evening building the art and discussing their faith and opinions about green responsibility.  Students from Boston University's fraternities and sororities also came to the gallery and volunteered for hours.  The THEcology club formed a lecture around the event, in which they read different scriptures that supported the ideals highlighted in the artwork and interpreted them. It was a diverse group of wonderful students all dedicated to the cause at hand and a beautiful example of teamwork, student initiative and commitment.