100-year-old Swiss artist unveils mural at UN

[G_j]

Source: AP

100-year-old Swiss artist unveils mural at UN

By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS
The Associated Press
Saturday, June 6, 2009; 1:01 PM

GENEVA -- Swiss artist Hans Erni at age 100 unveiled one of his largest works Saturday - a massive mural on the outside wall of a U.N. building in Geneva.

The irrepressible Erni, who has long outlived 20th-century artist friends like Pablo Picasso, had to cover up some of the muscular nudes in his mural after concerns were expressed in Geneva that his original design might shock some viewers, U.N. spokeswoman Marie Heuze said.

Erni pointed out to Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey that the 60-yard (meter) long mural on the outside wall of the U.N.'s European headquarters features a line drawing of one of his favorite symbols, the dove of peace.

The mural - with a section on either side of the entrance to the U.N. park and buildings - also underscores the world organization as a uniting force for all races.

The predominantly blue mural is six feet (two meters) high and is made up of hundreds of weatherproof ceramic tiles, which were created according to Erni's design and then assembled and glued in place.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/06/AR2009060601152.html

[Lorien]

1. An image from the mural:

[G_j]

2. it's quite beautiful

thanks!