This is not a pipe?

This is not a pipe?

Surrealist Magritte painted a pipe. He called the painting “this is not a pipe”. What you see in the painting is not the pipe itself but an image of a pipe. The painting created a paradox between images corresponding to words. 

Sometimes life imitates art. Let’s go back a couple of weeks on the news. The image of part of a forest in flames, “this is not a fire”, glaciers retreating around the world, “this is not an iceberg”, a land without water, a strong hurricane Dorian “this is not climate change”. Is it the return of Surrealism? 

Surrealism is my golden age. Golden age, for those who didn’t see Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, is the notion that a different time period is better than the one we’re living in the present. The goal of surrealism was the use of free thought, language and experiences to express an idea outside the boundaries of reality. And I love that. But as much as I love surrealism, we are still better off because we have the technology for real-time images and we’re free to speak (or at least most of us are) and to see things as they really are.

A disgruntled gunman on a shooting spree, “this is not white nationalism”. At a time when words are devoid of real meaning we must turn to images and art. Let the powerful images that we see today enlighten us. Let this be our age of enlightenment, the age of reason. Let us allow the images to illuminate our minds and let our imagination dream up solutions to problems that can still be managed and to communicate them without prejudice.

Just as newspapers rely on photojournalists and scientists depend on satellite images, we turn to images to market ourselves, market our lives and sell our products. Why is it then so hard to trust the power of images to seek the truth? With images, what you see is what you get (if you’re not altering the images). However, words associated with them can paint quite a different reality. 

I bet that any surrealist painter or writer would love 2019 and the freedom that we have to explore any topic and to say what we want - and to then state that we never said it, if we want. Let there be light. Let their art inspire us but in the meantime, let’s keep it real.

Felix Carriello

Adjunct Professor na Universidade Federal Fluminense

5 年

Let there be light!! we need? so much!?

Darren Bindert

Head of Marketing @ Hubken Group | MBA, Digital Marketing , CRM

5 年

It would be funny if it weren't so serious.? The very fact that leaders in the countries that epitomise strong democracies are challenging it's legitimacy by denigrating the institutions that are fundamental to its existence (parliament, the judicial system, journalists) illustrates just how close to the edge we're moving. ? People vs parliament, fake news, the belittling of judicial decisions....very dangerous path to go down.

Muito bom!!!

Juliet Le Breton

Culture, Change & Conservation Consultant. Let’s co-create a fresh approach to protect nature, empower women, inspire and lead innovative change in conservation, international development and intercultural communication.

5 年

It's hard to hear the whispers of truth, when everyone is screaming different stories and views. It takes patience, careful verification and analysis to see what is right in front of us sometimes. Thanks reminding us to examine what we look at - and respond accordingly.?

Estamos vivendo em uma época surreal!?

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Ione Anderson的更多文章

  • Unclouding sustainability reporting frameworks

    Unclouding sustainability reporting frameworks

    Do you like word clouds? I find them confusing. Since they became a visualization tool - and almost every workshop had…

    2 条评论
  • What if the Amazon Rainforest was a global corporation?

    What if the Amazon Rainforest was a global corporation?

    Key messages: · COP16 has 3 priority actions: establishing a multilateral mechanism for fair benefit-sharing in…

    3 条评论
  • 7 COP28 decisions that are set to reshape the business landscape in 2024 and beyond

    7 COP28 decisions that are set to reshape the business landscape in 2024 and beyond

    Why should the private sector rethink it's role in the global climate policy agenda? According to the recently released…

    1 条评论
  • 8 guidelines for the private sector to innovate with climate resilience solutions

    8 guidelines for the private sector to innovate with climate resilience solutions

    The IPCC Synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which summarizes nearly six thousand pages…

  • On top of the world

    On top of the world

    “We’re almost at the top, give me your hand, I’ll pull you up”, I say. “I know!” she smiles, “this is no Everest and…

    4 条评论
  • Nothing but flowers

    Nothing but flowers

    It was 1988 and some of my favorite bands were writing their best music. One of those songs, David Byrne’s upbeat…

    1 条评论
  • Not your usual Earth Day

    Not your usual Earth Day

    “March for science: rallies worldwide to protest against political interference”, reads the news ticker scrolling…

    6 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了