JRS Germany launches today the art exhibition ‘HOPE IS MAYBE’, an art project on the diversity of hope. The art exhibition will feature the work of various artists who have captured Hope in different artworks. This public art project was initiated by Michael Haerteis from Collaborative Creativity and Jesuit Refugee Service in Munich.

It is hard to give a definition to Hope. What do we HOPE for? Does HOPE depend on our country of origin? On our language, education, faith or personal emotions? HOPE IS MAYBE, as expressed by the words of a young man from Nigeria.

Based on interviews with asylum seekers hosted in an accommodation in Munich run by JRS staff, prominent quotes around these questions were collected. At a second stage, artists were asked to choose one of the quotes and connect it with one of their artworks. More than 280 digital artworks, from over 150 artists around the world were submitted. The exhibition HOPE IS MAYBE gathers 75 of these artworks.

The intention behind the art exhibition is to improve the political awareness on contemporary issues such as diversity, migration and integration of refugees, to embed them into an artistic context, and to start a discussion on social values. The exhibition is also an invitation to visitors to reflect on their own hopes. It contributes to raise awareness on what a refugee and a non-refugee share and draw attention to what connects us as human beings. Living in peace and security, hoping for a better future for our children, living a self-determined life are just a few examples of the human hopes we all have in common.

The exhibition will be in Terminal 2 (Check-in-Area E04) of Munich International Airport until 30 May, and then it will travel to the Refugee Accommodation of JRS, where those who shared their hopes live.

It is hard to give a definition to Hope. What do we HOPE for? Does HOPE depend on our country of origin? On our language, education, faith or personal emotions? HOPE IS MAYBE, as expressed by the words of a young man from Nigeria.