With UN Secretary General António Guterres, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis inaugurated a “Land Art” painting by the Swiss artist Saype in New York on Saturday.
the essentials in brief
- Ignazio Cassis inaugurated a huge painting with António Guterres in New York today.
- Saype’s artwork stands in front of the UN headquarters.
The picture painted with biodegradable paint is the size of a football field and can only be viewed from above. It shows two children drawing their world of tomorrow.
The first such painting was presented in June 2020 in the Palais des Nations in Geneva on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN. While the picture in Geneva described how the two developed their vision of a new world, the fresco in New York shows how they wanted to implement it, said Foreign Minister Cassis.
The paintings with the titles “World in Progress” I and II also made clear the strong connection between the two UN headquarters in New York and Geneva, said Cassis. He stressed the need to do more for prevention and to strengthen cooperation between the various actors, be they states, non-governmental organizations, scientists or the private sector.
UN Secretary General Guterres found Saype’s giant image to be an excellent fit for the United Nations: Even in the UN, the work of every individual is necessary in order to produce a functioning overall picture.
The Geneva artist Saype – a word creation from «say» and «peace» – wants to use the ephemeral work of art to express the wish to strengthen international solidarity.
From Monday to Wednesday, Foreign Minister Cassis and Federal President Guy Parmelin will represent Switzerland at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The priorities of the Federal Councils relate to Switzerland’s candidacy for the UN Security Council, sustainable development and dealing with the consequences of Covid-19 as well as the ongoing processes within the UN on cybersecurity and cybercrime. This also includes strengthening the role of Geneva in the areas of cyber and digitization.
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