Sailing meets art - Bundesliga J/70 Mainsails become canvas for UNESCO's 17 Global Goals
by J/Boats 31 Aug 2021 20:36 BST
22 August 2021
Bundesliga J/70 Mainsails become canvas for UNESCO's 17 Global Goals - Monheimer Kulturwerke © Lars Wehrmann / Monheimer Kulturwerke
"Sailing meets art". This is how the initiators of the so-called "Culture Regatta" of the Monheimer Kulturwerke were drawing attention to the 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations' UNESCO project as urgent issues for our society on Sunday, August 22nd, 2021.
The renowned visual artist, Stefan Szczesny, painted the 17 sustainability goals of UNESCO on 17 mainsails of the German Sailing League's fleet of J/70 one-design sailboats.
The world premiere of the culture regatta "Sailing #Art4GlobalGoals" started on Sunday at 11.00 am in Monheim am Rhein on the Rhine promenade in front of the K714 cultural refinery and sailed down the Rhine to Düsseldorf.
The idea of a sailing exhibition came from the pen of curator Dirk Geuer from Düsseldorf, who has been working with various artists on topics such as sustainability, peace, and education for many years. Together with the Monheimer Kulturwerke, the artist Stefan Szczesny, the YOU Foundation, the Düsseldorf Artstar Verlag, and the German Sailing League (DSBL), the idea became a reality.
For the first time, the J/70 sailboats, which are otherwise only used in the regattas of the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga and the Junior Sailing League, provided "blank" white Dacron mainsails as a "canvas". The internationally renowned painter and sculptor- Stefan Szczesny- interpreted the 17 sustainability goals of UNESCO on behalf of the #Art4GlobalGoals campaign and presented his works in a very special kind of vernissage on the water. The #Art4GlobalGoals campaign aims to use extraordinary art to raise awareness of UNESCO's 17 sustainability goals, also known internationally as "Global Goals", which are hopefully achieved by 2030.
Oliver Schwall, Managing Director of Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga GmbH, was looking forward to this special campaign: "This combination of art, culture and sailing is an unprecedented campaign. One of the challenges was that for the first time the artist applied the paint of his exhibit directly to a sail rather than canvas. That has to hold up- in wind, weather, and flapping sails. I'm really looking forward to finally getting the action on the water. No other sport represents the topic of sustainability as credibly as sailing.
For the 75th birthday of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the responsible Monheimer Kulturwerke are setting an extraordinary artistic example and want, together with the project partners, to impressively promote the implementation of the sustainability goals in politics and civil society and arouse interest in them.
Experienced sailing league teams from Düsseldorf Yacht Club, Salzgitter Sailing Club and Lohheider See sailing community, as well as "Friends & Family" from the DSBL, were sailing the boats.
Here are the 17 "Global Goals" and each painted mainsail:
1. No poverty
Ending poverty is not a question of charity, but of justice. It is also the key to enormous human potential.
Even so, almost half of the world's population still lives in poverty. A lack of food and clean water costs thousands of lives every single day. Together we can feed the hungry and eradicate diseases. Together we can give every single person the chance to lead a productive and fulfilling life.
2. No hunger
Hunger is the leading cause of death in the world. Our planet provides us with enormous resources, but unequal access and inefficient use mean that millions of people remain undernourished.
By promoting sustainable agriculture with modern technologies and equitable distribution systems, we can supply the entire world population. We can make sure that nobody goes hungry anymore.
3. Health and well-being
Child mortality has been halved in the last 15 years. That alone proves that we can win the fight against almost any disease.
Yet, every year we waste enormous sums of money and resources treating diseases that are surprisingly easy to prevent. The new goal for good health worldwide promotes a healthy lifestyle, preventive measures, and modern, efficient health care for all.
4. Quality education
Education frees the intellect, frees the imagination, and is fundamental to self-esteem.
It is the key to success and opens up a world of opportunity in which each of us is able to contribute to a progressive and healthy society.
Education is of benefit to everyone and should be accessible to everyone.
5. Gender equality
Any gender discrimination is degrading for everyone. This is not just a question of human rights; it is an enormous waste of human potential.
By denying women equal rights, we deny half of the population the chance to develop their lives freely. Political, economic, and social equality for women will benefit all citizens of the world. Together we can eliminate prejudices and work for equality and respect for all.
6. Clean water and sanitary facilities
Every third person lives without sanitary facilities. This leads to unnecessary illness and death.
Although great strides have been made to ensure access to safe drinking water, a lack of sanitation is undermining these advances. By disseminating affordable hygiene materials and knowledge, we can end this pointless suffering and loss of life.
7. Affordable and clean energy
Renewable energies are becoming cheaper, more reliable, and more efficient every day. Our current dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable and is damaging the planet.
We need to change the way we produce and use energy. Implementing these new energy solutions as quickly as possible is essential to addressing climate change, one of the greatest threats to our own survival.
8. Decent work and economic growth
Economic growth should be a positive force for the entire planet. That is why we must ensure that financial advances create decent and fulfilling jobs without harming the environment.
We must protect labor rights and put an end to modern slavery and child labor once and for all. By promoting job creation and access to banking and financial services, we can ensure that everyone benefits from entrepreneurship and innovation.
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
A functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful society. In order to meet the challenges of the future, our industries and our infrastructure must be modernized.
To do this, we must promote innovative, sustainable technologies and guarantee equal and universal access to the information and financial markets. This will bring prosperity, create jobs, and ensure that we build stable and prosperous societies around the world.
10. Less inequalities
Too much of the world's wealth belongs to a very small group of people. This easily leads to financial and social discrimination.
For all nations to flourish, equality and prosperity must be accessible to all - regardless of gender, race, religion, or economic status. When each individual is self-sufficient, the whole world thrives.
11. Sustainable cities and communities
The world population is growing all the time. To do justice to everyone, we need to build modern, sustainable cities.
So that we can all survive and live well, we need new, intelligent urban planning that creates safe, affordable, and robust cities with sustainable and culturally inspiring living conditions.
12. Sustainable consumption and production
Our planet provides us with an enormous abundance of natural resources.
So far, however, we have not been able to use this offer responsibly. We consume more than the earth can offer us. We need to find ways to consume and produce sustainably to reverse the damage we have done to the planet.
13. Climate protection measures
Climate change is real and an undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic if we do not act immediately.
Through education, innovation, and compliance with our climate commitments, we can implement the changes necessary to protect our planet. These changes also offer great opportunities for modernizing our infrastructure. They create new jobs and lead to more prosperity worldwide.
14. Life under water
Healthy oceans and seas are essential for our existence. They cover 70 percent of our planet, and we need them for food, energy, and water.
Even so, we managed to inflict tremendous damage on these precious resources. We must protect you by stopping pollution and overfishing and immediately starting to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world.
15. Life on land
Life in bloom on land is the basis of our life on this planet. We are all part of our planet's ecosystem and have caused it severe damage through deforestation, loss of natural habitats and soil degradation.
The promotion of the sustainable use of our ecosystems and the preservation of biodiversity is not only a worthy goal, but the key to our own survival.
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institution
Compassion and a strong moral compass are the basis of any democratic society.
However, persecution, injustice and corruption are still rampant and undermine the structure of civilization. We must ensure that we have strong institutions, global standards of justice and a commitment to peace around the world.
17. Partnerships to achieve the goals
The global goals can only be achieved together.
International investment and support are necessary to ensure innovative technological development, fair trade, and access to world markets, especially for developing countries. To build a better world, we need to be supportive, empathetic, inventive, passionate, and most importantly, cooperative.
The next stop of the culture regatta "Sailing # Art4GlobalGoals" is already planned. A 2-day tour from Koblenz to Monheim am Rhein will start on September 25, 2021, and will again use an anniversary as an occasion: the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is also celebrating its 75th birthday this year. Overall, a term of at least five years is planned for the project, with further stations worldwide.
More information at www.kulturregatta.de