A stare at the face of war-mongers

“Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed,” said Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-tung in the 1930s. Wars involve death and destruction. If you look at the current situation, you will know that outright war or some types of armed conflicts are happening now in at least 40 countries. Wars, however, have become highly technological: more and more involving robots and AI, thus enhancing their destructive capabilities and lowering their cost, according to Vladimir Esaulov, founding trustee of the Kochi Art and Science Space (KASS), who is curating an online art show called Art for Peace: No War, No Violence in which 22 Kerala-based artists exhibit their thoughts and reflexes on war.

A digital art titled Stop, Stop, Stop, War by Gopakumar R.

The exhibition evoked tremendous response when it was launched on May 1. “In today’s society with computerised violent games, children grow happily playing war-games. But a war is not a game: they should learn to realise this,” he writes. Subjects such as violence, rift in society, destruction of lives and cities, resilience and hope in a better and peaceful world are reflected in the works shown as part of the ongoing show. An art show on wars, according to Esaulov, will not stop them, but is a way of breaking the silence and saying ‘No’.

“War is a well-designed game between Governments, Politicians, Corporates and all those who would benefit from it. I do not try to narrate the atrocities of war, but try to represent three different visuals related to war,” said Johns Mathews, who has exhibited his digital artwork titled “War”. “War destroys not just our culture, creations, and biological ecosystems, but even obliterates the void itself. For someone who creates art, where can they find their spaces within it?.” asks Jayasree PG, another artist, through her acrylic works on canvas called “Burned Adobe 1 & 2,”. Sonya Joseph’s works expose the raw experiences of those enduring the Gaza war—the pain of losing homes, loved ones, and the comforting familiarity of their surroundings. Amid forced displacement and destruction, they also shed light on the brutal reality of starvation, a deliberate weapon of war that robs people of dignity and hope. “I try to highlight the courage of the individuals who, even in the darkest moments, dream of reclaiming their lives, rebuilding their communities, and achieving a future unmarked by violence. I wanted to remind viewers of the indomitable human spirit of Palestinians and the universal yearning for their peace and freedom,” said Sonya.

Madhu Venugopalan's Recluse's Sonata.

Gopakumar RA’s “Stop, Stop, Stop! War” series captures the urgent plea for peace amidst the chaos of conflict. The artworks convey deep emotion, showcasing the devastation of war and the longing for harmony. The series serves as a reminder that every life lost is a story interrupted, urging viewers to consider the impact of their actions and the importance of striving for a world where peace prevails over strife.

Explaining why he curated a show against war, Esaulov said we are witnessing today massive military spendings, which happen at the expense of investment in the social field like education, healthcare and are going to affect climate-change oriented initiatives. “Information networks become a tool to promote false narratives in support of war. Wars are fought with arms and also using ‘sanctions’ that can have dire consequences on the more fragile sections of societies. In today’s internet and cloud computing world major havoc can be easily created by switching off access or destroying relevant ground or satellite infrastructure,” he added.

Defiant, till the End by Sonya Joseph

Harindran T K said the war is everywhere, dehumanizing all the beats of intrinsics. His “Love-Love Again” is an artist's soliloquy, an inner cry and hope of light to vanquish the dark forces. It reminds us of our earthly substance and existence as beings integrated like codes in a primordial tree that speaks the eternal story of existence against a backdrop of unfathomable self-destruction.

“Due to copyright restrictions, I am unable to illustrate this work,” writes Murali Cheeroth on his concept note to his work titled, “Seeds on the left bank of the River Ecospace.” This refusal, this absence, becomes the starting point of the work — a silence that speaks volumes about how the image is no longer neutral. “In the contemporary condition, the image operates as a geographical statement: a contested zone where national security, cultural identity, and authoritarian control converge. This image interrogates the visual as both territory and instrument—used to enforce, erase, surveil, and possess. Here, the image functions not merely as representation but as cartography: drawing and redrawing lines of belonging, otherness, and exclusion. The nation becomes a visual regime, and within it, identity becomes a detainee — subject to framing, restriction, and strategic visibility,” said Murali.

Tombstone Makers by Tensing Joseph

Sajitha R Shankar’s book-like installation portrays her anguished response to the news on wars being waged and her hope that the deaths, suffering and destruction ends. “This is a ‘No War’ series of 12 paintings which I arranged in this special manner. In the past many months, we are all hearing news and seeing continuous images of war. This has caused me a great deal of pain and anguish leading to many sleepless nights. Painting this series allowed me to abstractly connect to the universe and what happens in it and gave me some relief, although it feels like humanity is entering its finale. I hope it all stops,” said Sajitha.

Tensing Joseph tries a different experiment in his work titled “Tombstone Makers.” A sequence of abstract and indefinable childhood memories that take place inside the mind and when the war happening that women and children suffer the most in the contemporary world, it unfolds like a film. “The subject of my images are relational and rational transformations like a reimagining of visual language reminiscent of great masters of filmmakers Fellini and Akira Kurosawa. In Akira Kurosawa’s Tunnel (of Dreams), Noguchi convinces the viewer that the anxieties of the man in the tunnel reveal the reality of death that is being proclaimed in the minds of all human beings,” said Tensing. 

Seeds On The Left Bank Of The River Ecospace by Murali Cheeroth.

Sukesan Kanka said he created the works after getting inspired by the films that he watched. “Chilean and French avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's works have been a significant source of inspiration for me. His films helped me shape my understanding of the power of love and peace in the face of turmoil. The iconic painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix serves as a poignant representation that resonates with my own exploration of war’s role in art. Through these influences, I've come to appreciate how deeply intertwined love and peace are and the vital messages we must share through our art,” said Sukesan.

This exhibition is a humble symbolic effort to stand up against the atrocities of war and a demand for the prevalence of peace, said Johny M L, an art historian based in New Delhi. “Though the world order does not go by the aestheticized demands of people, as Milton said, they also serve who stand and stare. This exhibition is a stare at the face of the war mongers. They may stare back at the artists and make them flinch, however, there could be a sense of satisfaction in serving a universal cause in a different way,” he said.