As seen throughout history, art has always been a part of human civilization and humanity. Art is the expression of the human mind and soul. Everyone has a story to tell, in various different forms and mediums. Be it to the public, or for their own private self.
Art reveals the desperation and suffering of the human soul. It also reveals the desires repressed within, longing to be expressed and heard. One turns to art in the moment of sorrow, grief, and depression. Some may reject the notion of baring one’s self to the others whom are deemed as unsympathetic to one’s own predicaments, caught up in their own chase and chaos that is life. But yet these art reveal the hurt inflicted to their hearts and souls that yearn to be known, felt, and understood. We feel for the artists, and for ourselves.
On 23 August 2015 it was reported that the temple of Baal Shamin, one of the best-preserved and most unique buildings on the site, had been levelled by explosives.
Art is when the heart breaks, listening and watching the destruction of history and cultures of the ancient world. To whom do we turn to when confronted with the ignorant and murderers of art and humanity? We have seen the efforts and victories of the Monuments Men against Nazi Germany during World War II. Today, we are faced with ISIS’s use of social media to explicitly document and portray their acts of destruction. They have distorted and corrupted art/culture into weapons of war. How do we go on rescuing the victims, saving our humanity, and preserving the past for the present and the future?
Come and take a look at one artist’s mission to 3D-print the artifacts that ISIS destroyed. Yes, it may not be the same or authentic yet it is something. There is hope when the technologies we’ve invented are utilized in a way that save us instead of destroy us.
Art is an attempt at immortality. Ars longa, vita brevis. Art is long, life is short.