After a successful showing in New York, the ‘Freedom to Create' exhibition has arrived in Mumbai. Compelling creative work crafted to drive social change, from across the world, will be on display at the Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke in Colaba, from May 19 to June 2.

On show is work by 36 artists from different creative fields – from photography to canvas to theatre to integrated activation campaigns woven around art installations. There is a richness of ideation and execution that reflects the passion in the artists for the causes they created for. These 36 have been picked from 100 ‘Commended Artists' chosen by an eminent jury, that included Fatima Bhutto, Salman Rushdie and Mira Nair.

In all, there were over 1750 entries received for the 2010 edition of the initiative, which is billed as a manifestation of how creativity is used to drive social change. The prize money of $ 1,00,000 seems like the biggest incentive for entrants, but speaking with some of the artists can convince visitors otherwise.

Two professional photographers and their work were in the limelight at a briefing to announce the arrival of the exhibition.

Laura Boshnak, a Palestinian photographer born in Kuwait, said the best stories she does are the ones that make her angry. At the Freedom to Create exhibition, her photographic portraits show Egyptian women attending literacy classes in the illegal settlements in Cairo's suburbs.

Speaking to Business Line , she said, “In the Arab world, even today 50 per cent of the women are illiterate. This is 2011 – we cannot deal with illiteracy.”

Being a photojournalist for AFP, she realises that there is a responsibility beyond reporting the news in pictures. She added, “Covering news can be, in a way, frustrating. Yes, it is important that people need to know what is happening. But that is not enough. Especially with so much news happening so fast, each issue is forgotten as soon as the next one crops up. We need to focus on issues over time to drive real change.”

Abir Abdullah from Dhaka has photographs on display at the exhibition that can move visitors to tears: poignant images of women, faces disfigured by acid attacks by men whose advances or proposals they rejected, in black and white. He is of the view that the exhibition should go into markets that are marginalised, to reach the affected. “That'll bring about awareness, and also the tangible change we seek to see,” he surmised.

Most of the issues highlighted at the exhibition – from violence to cruelty to education – are not unique to one region. They will find empathisers in most parts of the world. Laura Boshnak's next project definitely should – sexual harassment of women.

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