Conflictorium

Housed in the Gool Lodge, the Conflictorium – Museum of Conflict, is a participatory museum that addresses the theme of conflict. It seeks to create a space for facilitating dialogue through art. The Lodge itself is a two-storey building which was donated by Ms. Bachuben Nagarwala, Ahmedabad’s first professionally-trained hairstylist. The museum is an initiative that strives to engage every section of society with a variety of conflict-based issues by celebrating plurality and encouraging conflict expression and avoidance in artistic and creative ways. In an increasingly polarized world, existing in binaries, where conscious division on the basis of identity has become the norm, the Conflictorium stands for the in-between, beyond the black and white of this system, where the shades of grey are acknowledged and celebrated for the cause of peace. In doing so, we at the Conflictorium envision ourselves as a medium that helps build bridges creatively, highlighting how social change is possible through innovation. Through this, we aim to – • Contemporize the discourse on conflict by promoting acceptance of conflict as necessary to human refinement and promoting dialogue on contentious issues. • Be a resource centre on ‘peace and conflict’ using art, law, culture and the behavioral sciences in an integrated way. • Add existing knowledge on conflict and build new paradigms, juxtaposing art with logic, while giving space to expression of innate feelings. • Collaborate with all actors to reduce violent tension and to find creative community-led solutions to conflict. • Build a case for informed policy which allows for community expression through artistic and cultural practice. • Support excluded groups to set up their own ‘Conflictorium’ in their own spaces, so that violence is reduced and differences are celebrated. • Build an interdisciplinary team of young creative diverse professionals who want to make a difference to themselves and to others. • Start making a difference from where we are located. The centre-periphery tensions need to be nurtured. • Create a Col-laboratory where people and institutions who want to invest in peace and creative tension are welcome.