PRESS: Monocle Weekend Edition: Saturday — Pack mentality by Monocle

It’s difficult to gauge what effect, if any, art has on conflict (writes Alex Briand). Sometimes it’s as simple as acting as a catharsis for the artist in a time that’s otherwise impossible to comprehend. Sometimes, in some way, it can shift perspectives or hold a mirror up to those blinded to the effects of war – just think of the enduring power of Picasso’s Guernica 85 years on. In response to the effects of the invasion of Ukraine, about 70 artists have gone one step further and donated an artwork each to the non-profit organisation, Artists at Risk. Proceeds from the sale of these works will help the foundation to “facilitate emergency travel, shelter and financial support to help our peers gain safety”.

Image: MATTHEW BARNEY

This photograph by American contemporary artist and film director Matthew Barney depicts five wolves tracking prey through the frozen wilderness of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. And maybe the sale of this and the impressive range of prints on offer will help, in a small way, in Ukrainian artists’ efforts to keep the metaphorical wolf from the door.
solidarityprints.org