War in cities | Presented by the International Committee of the Red Cross

A rusted metal cart sits upturned with broken tea cup saucers. Surrounded by debris from war
Textured divide

Category

Exhibition

Location

Gorman Arts Centre

When

Opening night: 6pm - 8pm, 31 May

31 May - 6 June
Weekdays: 11.30 am - 7.30 pm
Weekend: 10 am - 4 pm

Join the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on opening night for drinks, a short panel, and exhibition viewing to open the ‘War in Cities’ exhibition.

‘War in Cities’ is an exhibition that explores the devastating impact on civilians when wars are fought in urban landscapes and the humanitarian responses.

To officially open the exhibition, an expert panel will discuss war in cities, and the direct and indirect humanitarian impacts on communities, diaspora and the global community.

Panel:

  • Dr Nematullah Bizhan, Lecturer in Public Policy at the Development Policy Centre, Australian National University, and a Senior Research Associate at Oxford University
  • Marwa Charmand, Western Sydney Artist whose work depicting people and communities affected by conflict join the exhibition
  • Beth Delaney,  Humanitarian Coordinator, First Assistant Secretary, Humanitarian Division, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • David Tuck, ICRC Head of Mission in Australia

Drinks will be provided.

About the exhibition

What happens when war quite literally knocks at the door of your apartment? The horrors of being trapped in a city at war are manifold: the water stops flowing, the light and heating go off, windows are shattered by shock waves from nearby explosions, food becomes scarce, and life turns into a constant struggle to survive. Unearthing strength from within becomes a new way of life as routine things like having clean water can be an unrelenting challenge.

Through objects collected from battlefields, and audio-visual materials from the International Committee of the Red Cross, this exhibition tells a story about the staggering toll of urban warfare on people, the humanitarian needs that arise, and also people’s resilience.

These objects, images and audio have travelled from war-torn cities to the quiet streets of Canberra so Australian audiences can connect to the stories and experiences of people living a very different reality.

Image: A. Qusay, ICRC