Make Art Not War - Rana Hamida

A participatory art installation to create paper cranes for all people who have lost their lives during the current crisis in Palestine. Origami cranes are the Japanese art form Senbazuru, a traditional belief that by folding 1,000 origami cranes, one's wish would come true.

Join the conversation about hope and healing during challenging times. Make Art Not War is a participatory art project that was birthed through the darkness of the ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza-Palestine. Acknowledging the loss of human lives and the grief that comes from the unfairness of these events. Members of the public are invited to create origami paper cranes to represent all the civilian deaths resulting from the current conflict. The process of constructing and being surrounded by thousands Paper Cranes, folded since the beginning of this project in December 2023 at mothermother in Tāmaki Makaurau, creates a compelling visual representation for the loss of life and the futility of armed conflict and acts as a powerful expression of the collective grief, suffering and call for ceasefire.

The project focuses on connecting and empowering ethnic community groups, specifically those affected by the current humanitarian crises in Gaza. This initiative supports refugees and migrant youth and adults who connect with the experience through their own history and culture. It is also empowering cultural identity and developing community spirit by coming together in the hardship of the present events, supporting each other as we navigate through such dividing times.