Winners of Passion for Freedom Awards
One Law for All's 4th Passion for Freedom Art Festival opened on 3 November with a private viewing at Unit24 Gallery.
Hundreds attended the viewing.
The festival, which is addressing the issue of freedom, is showcasing the work of over 40 artists from 20 countries
worldwide (including censored works shown in London for the very first time) under the direction of Agnieszka Kolek, KM
Curator and Marianna Fox, Assistant Curator.
Winners of the 2012 Freedom Awards were: Osailys Milian Avila from Cuba (1st prize); Ferri Farahmandi for "Serene" (2nd
prize); and Fiona Dent for "Madonna of Mutilations" (3rd prize). The winning pieces were selected by judges Francisco
Laranjo (Artist and Head of School of Arts at Porto University) and Nick Cohen (Writer and Columnist). A special Freedom
Award went to Robb Leech for “My Brother the Islamist”; the Public Award went to Maria Strzelecka for "Mother Anarchy".
To see the winning pieces visit: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/passion-for-freedom-awards-2012/.
At the event, One Law for All Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie, said:
“Even here in Europe – Islamism’s Sharia laws and fatwas of censorship and death for everything from blasphemy, heresy,
and apostasy become secular ones – where the artist or dissenter is not routinely imprisoned or killed (even if the
threat is always there) but proclaimed ‘guilty’ of offence, disrespect, intolerance, and Islamophobia, thereby making
censorship and self-censorship ‘justifiable’.
“Where it rules, Islamism forbids you to dissent; here, it convinces you that dissent is impossible.
“Yet fear is only part of the story; it is what we do despite the fear that counts...”
The festival continues until 10 November 2012 at UNIT24 GALLERY, 20 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0FD. Other events
are:
* A screening of “My Brother the Islamist” by Robb Leech on 06/11/2012 at 7pm followed by a discussion with the
film-maker.
* A screening of “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” by Alison Klayman and Press Evening on 09/11/2012 at 7pm.
NOTES:
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ENDS