Unis pour la Paix : a unique pasting in Burundi

Every year, International Day of Peace is celebrated worldwide on September 21st. Today, wherever we are and whoever we may be, we are all affected by different conflicts, and the first people impacted are those who have had to flee their countries.

In Burundi, the poorest country in the Great Lakes region of Africa, both a haven and a place of exile, Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees coexist in the urban fabric of Bujumbura. Some have had to flee, while others return to their country to reintegrate into their original community.

   Volunteers installing the portraits on the facade – installation in progress

Thus, on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, we wanted to shed light on the fate of these displaced individuals in order to express our common desire to live in a peaceful world. Addressing this topic through the lens of art with an Inside Out project seemed particularly interesting in a country like Burundi where urban art is non-existent. Moreover, creating an action visible from the street helps democratize culture and make it accessible to everyone.

In collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, we contacted the zone leaders of the different urban communes of Bujumbura who invited refugees and returnees from their neighborhoods to participate in the project. They scheduled appointments for them to come and have their photos taken during two shooting days at the Urban Center for Refugee Counseling and Orientation, where they were photographed by two Congolese refugee photographers.

At the end of these two shooting days, the photographers had taken a total of 289 portraits of Burundian and Congolese women, men, and children, refugees and returnees, as well as supervisors from reception facilities. By offering their faces and gazes, they wanted to convey a universal message of peace. 

   Photo of volunteers during the installation process

Once the portraits were taken, the installation presented a challenge. We had chosen one of the tallest buildings in the economic capital of Burundi, Bujumbura. This building, housing the Delegation of the European Union to Burundi, is located in the heart of the city. The portraits were going to cover three facades of the building, spanning 18 meters in height and 50 meters in width. The building's basket allowed the technicians in charge of maintenance to paste the posters while working day and night despite unexpected wind and torrential rains.

As the artwork installation progressed, rumors circulated in the city and on social media about the explanation for this collage. The absence of an explanation for several days allowed passersby to form their own interpretations and engage in discussions at the foot of the artwork. A comment on social media testified, 'I love this artwork, I showed pictures to my entire family and my neighborhood, and they also loved this artwork.' Another one said, 'I'll see tomorrow if it's real.' Indeed, this installation sparked a lot of curiosity due to its unprecedented nature and its scale, a first in Burundi!

The day before the inauguration of the artwork, we screened the documentary 'Faces Places' directed by JR and Agnès Varda in the cinema of the French Institute of Burundi, allowing the discovery of the commitment and essence of JR's artistic work.

To inaugurate the artwork, we gathered refugees, returnees, and event partners to celebrate the International Day of Peace together at the foot of the artwork. The participants were moved to see the result and to find their portrait in this mosaic of faces. A Burundian slam poet recited a slam text that elicited emotions among the participants, especially one of the refugees who heard a slam performance for the first time and said it was 'the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.'

   Closeup photo of the installation

'Asylum or exile, hospitality should be a universal value,

Peace is the will to appease battles, it is not the absence of all quarrels,

Beyond our origins, we share the same aspirations.

And if you and I build a world where love and peace reign,

A world where people unite without barriers or borders,

Peace should not be just a word, but a way of life,

Because peace for me is to live in harmony with you.'

     Photo of the installation completed

We parted on this poetic note, letting time bring the artwork to life.

To keep the artwork alive in our memories, two videos of the installation were made along with a poster and bookmarks.

Read more about this Action!