A conference unlike a conference

Here’s how the event is billed on its Web site: “Every day ordinary people at home and abroad struggle to maintain their human dignity in the face of hunger, lack of adequate housing and health care, and the repressive and neglectful actions and omissions of their governments. What do these human rights abuses look like? How do they feel? How are human rights and wrongs experienced in personal terms, and what difference do they make to our lives?

In an unconventional forum, ‘Visualizing Human Rights’ brings together painters, photographers, writers, poets, filmmakers, and printmakers to put a human face on human rights in an effort to reach beyond traditional academic approaches.”

To that end, the anti-conference features a host of disparate and exciting ventures:
• Renowned conceptual artist Mel Chin will screen his “9-11/9-11: A Tale of Two Cities — A Tragedy of Two Times” animated feature and later talk about his Fundred Dollar Bill project,
• Aaron Davidman, artistic director of the Jewish Theatre of San Francisco, will perform “A Jerusalem Between Us” (which deals with complex feelings of an American Jew toward Israel and Palestine),
• Spoken-word performer and community activist DeWayne Barton will give a reading,
• Installation artist Luzenne Hill will talk about her new piece at the Highsmith Student Union art gallery, called “Human Rites … the body and the blood,”
talks on making art, photography, workshops, a play about being homeless in Asheville, and more.

The anti-conference celebrates the 61st anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and begins International Human Rights Week, Nov. 16–20. All events are free and open to the public. Space may be limited. Program schedules are subject to change. For more info, call 251-6634.

The event is sponsored by the Asheville Art Museum;, Amnesty International’s UNCA chapter; Center for Global Initiatives at UNC-Chapel Hill; Human Rights Center at Duke University; and the Department of Political Science, Elon University.

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