The Human Rights Sculpture Park that dominates the courtyard of the Apostolos Loukas High School in Kolossi is ready to open its gates early next month.
This is a park with a range of sculptures that support a human rights-based approach.
An initiative and idea of the visual artist and art teacher, Popi Nikolaou, with her students as her companions.
Phileleftheros met her last week in the school park, working on the final details and touches of the project “Children Want Peace”. At her side were her students who were editing details on the figures.
Tireless yet proud of the works on display in the schoolyard, they are eagerly awaiting the completion of the work so that everything will be ready for the opening ceremony, which will be held on April 12, by the President, Nikos Christodoulides.
Speaking to Phileleftheros, Popi Nikolaou shared a decade’s journey until the park took shape. Sensitive and also an educator who imparts her knowledge through art, she made the students reflect on the serious issues that plague our society.
The purpose of the park, as explained by the award-winner among the best teachers in the world, is for students and future citizens of this country to be active in terms of human rights violations, whether it has to do with human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or women’s rights.
“Young citizens must be able to recognize the problem and be able to act and react. We don’t want inactive citizens. I believe it is time for some incumbents to change. Prevention, awareness of social issues, social problems, is very important,” she said, explaining that when young people are aware of a problem, they can recognize it, and react either by reporting it, condemning it, or avoiding it. Visual art is silent, yet it sends powerful messages to many recipients.
“For all these sculptures in the human rights park, research and study was done first. After realizing the purpose, then the implementation begins. When you make monumental works, wanting to give messages such as human rights, things are not simple,” she said.
