Stephane Hessel

Newtopia: the State of Human Rights Stephane Hessel

At the instigation of curators Katerina Gregos and Elena Sorokina, the question of human rights is not only examined from a philosophical and ethical point of view, but is also linked to the work of 70 international contemporary artists whose work will be shown in nine different locations in Mechelen in autumn 2012. In this catalogue, selected works constitute a corpus that clearly shows to what extent this question is also a recurrent theme within the field of art. This ambitious project, however, aims to be more than just an exhibition catalogue. It charts the current situation of human rights with essays, philosophical reflections, contributions from a number of international human rights activists, historical reconstructions and new insights.