On June 24, Zaha Hadid was honored as the UNESCO Artist for Peace, an award bestowed upon a person who promotes the values of the organization, specifically by creating the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. “The arts have always bridged cultural, economic and social divides; teaching us that disparate worlds are not mutually exclusive, but rather layered upon each other and profoundly interlinked. I am honored to join the Artists for Peace, furthering UNESCO’s important message and programs,” said Hadid.
More about the award after the break.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, acknowledged Hadid’s efforts to raise public awareness of intercultural dialogue through her architecture and creativity. As the new inductee, Ms. Hadid joins the ranks of past winners, such as author Frankétienne (Haiti), musician Manu Dibango (Cameroon), fashion designer Bibi Russell (Bangladesh), and writer Scott Momaday (United States); all “renowned personalities who use their influence, charisma and prestige to promote UNESCO’s message.”
The UNESCO award is a prestigious honor and others agree with Hadid’s influence – she recently placed on top of the “Thinkers category” of TIME magazine’s 2010 “100 Most Influential People in the World.”
Congratulations, Ms. Hadid, not only for your accolades and being inspirational to other female architects, but also for continually producing work that instantly causes a reaction. Your architectural point of view may differ from the traditional, yet we are always excited to see what you will produce next.
