During a recent orientation on the Ship of Tolerance at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights, Russian artist Emilia Kabakov posed two questions to the students: What problems did they expect to see in the future, and what could they do to solve them?
Taiga, a Chicago transplant who hails from Russia, says she thinks Chicago is an ideal location for the ship because it’s a “community-oriented” city. “You can make things happen here,” Taiga says. “If the idea is great and somehow benefits the city and other local organizations, then people will be very supportive.”
Kabakov estimates that the children who participated in Chicago tolerance workshops have made more than 500 paintings over the past year. For the first time in Ship of Tolerance history, Kabakov is also using paintings from other cities that have participated in the project to create a multinational sail. Paintings from London, Moscow, Havana, and more will be displayed alongside the Chicago artwork, and Kabakov brought some paintings from Chicago with her on a recent trip to Europe.
What’s more, she has noticed an effect on the children’s parents as well. She says while they may not be as open-minded as the kids, they find common ground when they realize that they all want the best for their children.
On display 9/17-10/6 at City Stage in Polk Bros Park, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand, shipoftolerance.org, free.
