The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
—United Nations
For International Human Rights Day, featured in a window exhibitions at the PO Box Collective in Chicago, Illinois and La Galerie Marquette in Madison, Wisconsin are foam block prints for each of the 30 Articles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights created by artists at Stateville Prison. While reflecting the challenges of image-making in prison conditions, the designs are the start of a conversation about what it means to represent justice and carve out rights from inside the prison industrial complex. Collectively the prints reject the conditional rights and dehumanization perpetuated by the carceral state and claim the dignity of universal inalienable rights. The print series was inspired by Meredith Stern’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights Print Project and was developed in a class taught by Aaron Hughes through the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project in 2018.
More information: p-nap.org
Carving Out Rights at PO Box Collective in Chicago, IL
Carving Out Rights at PO Box Collective in Chicago, IL
Carving Out Rights at La Galerie Marquette in Madison, WI
This work is featured in the new Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project book Carving Out Rights from Inside the Prison Industrial Complex (Hat & Beard, 2021). Pre-order a copy online at hatandbeard.com
On International Human Rights Day, December 10th, join Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project and American Friends Service Committee for, Carving Out Rights from inside the Prison Industrial Complex, an event celebrating the book and exhibitions. The program will feature music by Damon Locks, and featured poets including Tara Betts, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Martin Espada, and Eric Blackmon, and panel discussion on human rights, abolition and mass incarceration, as well as brilliantly crafted prints developed by artists incarcerated at Stateville prison. Other speakers include Demetrius Titus, William Estrada, and Melissa Rios. More information here.
