Art & Geneva- The Nelson Mandela Memorial

Whenever I had to walk to home, I used to take this long path through Rigot Park and pass through this tall aluminium flagpoles. When I caught up with Grusha for a interview, she told me that this is related to Nelson Mandela. As I read more about it. I learnt that the tall alumnium flagpoles is indeed a Nelson Mandela Memorial. 

I walked to the centre of the flagpoles and walked on those stones. The square is of area - 4m2. The flagpoles is a memory of Nelson Mandela's prison's stay. The gravel beneath marks the limestone quarry which he is condemned to break the stones. The piece is titled as 'Hating only harm the haters.' This piece is done by HEAD-Geneve Student Leonard de Muralt in Sep 2015, a year after Nelson Mandela's death. 

I looked up from the statue, the blue sky indeed gave me a feeling of hope and openness being amidst such enclosed space. Nelson Mandela said this phrase at a conference- Anatonmy of Hate in 1990, "Hating only harm the haters," To chose kindness and compassion forgiveness after such horrific experience is only a testimony for the power of love, kindness and compassion.