The Maltese National Commission for Unesco last week co-hosted the inauguration of Colours for the Planet, an art exhibition at the prestigious Unesco Headquarters in Paris. The National Commission in Malta hosts a residency Art Camp every other year and the last Art Camp was held in November 2022.

What is Art Camp? Art Camp is a meeting of painters from different countries, who live and work together for about 10 days. In addition to the artistic character of Art Camp, its aims are to create the environment for the artists to participate in forging a culture of dialogue, respect and living together. Art Camp was originally an Andorran Commission's initiative, which started in 2008.

The Art Camp Andorra model has been adopted in various other countries including Malta, which has been hosting Art Camps since 2015, Rome and the United Arab Emirates. Last week, these four countries agreed to participate together in one exhibition at the Unesco Headquarters in Paris, the organisation that places education and cultural diversity at the centre of all challenges and hopes. Holding the Colours for the Planet exhibition at this venue contributes to demonstrating the power of art for peace.

The artworks exhibited represent the four collections of the last four Art Camps held in the above-mentioned countries. It is worth noting that Madame Hedva Ser, Unesco Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Diplomacy, has been the patron of the Art Camp project since 2012. Philip Cassar, secretary general of the Maltese National Commission for Unesco attended the exhibition and was accompanied by Anthony Vella, who as curator, assisted in the setting up of the Art Camp Malta paintings.

This exhibition at the Unesco Headquarters offers a chance to explore the experiences of the artists and the dialogue they were able to create through the universal language of painting.