It certainly is an exciting time in the world. In the past few months, we've seen revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya as well as uprisings in Algeria, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, Morocco and Oman. We're also experiencing our own home battles with Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill and the upcoming voter ID bill, and the future structure of UW-Madison is uncertain.
In these times, full of strife, struggle, and real battles for freedom and rights, the importance of the arts should not be forgotten. Art reminds us of the beauty we forget when we are so fully engaged in troubles at home and abroad. It allows us to express strong emotion and share unexpected feelings. It helps us to connect with people and share our lives, if just for a moment, with another human being. We remember that all of these events, battles and protests, debates and decisions, can never destroy the connection with humanity that we form through art.
Guitarist Afel Bocoum, one of Africa's greatest singer-songwriters, has fought to remember this power of art for many years. Bocoum uses music as a means to connect and share with fellow Malians, especially since only 30 percent of Mali's citizens can read and write. Bocoum's band is named Alkibar, which means ""messengers of the great river"" in his native Sonrai. Bocoum has embodied this spirit and has shared his message of respect for women, peace through his music and the end of forced marriage. Even during the fighting of the Tourareg rebellion in Mali and Niger, Bocoum continued to travel through the region to share his music. He believes that music is a path to shared communication. ""My aim is not just to make an album, but to reach out and touch the maximum number of people possible so that we're all on the same wavelength,"" Bocoum said.
Bocoum will be joined by fellow African guitarist-singer-songwriters Habib Koite and Oliver Mtukudzi for Acoustic Africa at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Thursday, March 10 at 8 p.m. As always, student tickets are only $10. Visit uniontheater.wisc.edu for more information.
Here in Madison, artists are currently using art to connect with each other with the creation of an artist web. This project, titled ""Creation. Interpretation. Inspiration.,"" begins with one artist, in this case modern dancer Ali Weeks, creating a work of art. From there, two artists create interpretations of the first work to complete the second level, and then four third-level artists create interpretations of each second level work. The project finishes with two artists merging their works together to close the web.
This project intertwines the artist and audience. Not only is the web to be presented to the public, but each artist within the web is also an audience member. Each must view and interpret another form of art in order to create his or her own piece. You can find more information and updates on the web on the project's Facebook page. A final presentation of the art web will be presented on Friday, April 8 in the afternoon, at the Wisconsin Insitutes for Discovery.
Whatever comes in the days ahead, whether it be resolutions or renewed struggle, take a moment to remember the beauty and humanity of art.
Got questions? You can direct them to Elana at publicrelations@union.wisc.edu.
