Art for Gold visually underlines the importance of freedom for us all.

Eveline van de Griend started the Art for Gold project in South Africa to raise awareness for the importance of Freedom. The start of apartheid was connected to Gold. Slave gold. Still today ghost miners work in modern-day slavery. They have no choice but to try and “earn” their freedom. In November 2022 the bodies of 21 illegal miners were discovered at an illegal mining site in South Africa, all dead. Van de Griend created Art for Gold, to raise awareness to the fact that we are still on that long walk to freedom. 

Art for Gold combines History with the present, in a modern way and underlines our involvement and responsibility towards each other to stop slavery.

Freedom Day

Art for Gold makes personal portraits in return for gold. The gold is coming from participants from all over the world who warmly support this project. Their gold is melted and made into a unique art piece that will be donated to one of the leading art museums of South Africa. The sculpture will have the message 1% pure goodness engraved in the collected gold for all to read.  This art piece visually underlines the importance of freedom for us all! Lets remember the people that made Freedom around the world possible like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Wangari Maathai, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Benazir Bhutto and many others. They cared about our Freedom and equal rights and so should we!

1% pure goodness – A symbol of Freedom, to show you care

If everyone would share 1% pure goodness that would already make a significant change. As part of this awareness Van de Griend designed a ring where two fingers are joined together as one, with the text ‘1% pure goodness’ engraved in mirrored writing. The ring can be used as a seal ring: when pressed into a soft surface the text ‘1%pure goodness’ will appear just like on the unique piece that will be shown at the museum in South Africa.

The  ‘1% pure goodness’ rings can be bought in our online shop . The rings are made as a symbol of Freedom, to wear and to show you care about our future and haven’t forgotten the past.

If you wish to participate and exchange your Gold for Art go to exchange.

 

Eveline van de Griend Berlin, September 2012

About the artist and founder
of Art for Gold

Eveline van de Griend was born in The Netherlands and raised in Africa, England and Russia. She graduated from  the Royal Art Academy in The Netherlands and currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Van de Griend participated in many international shows and museum exhibitions and received grants from various organizations as Mondriaan Fund, BKKC and Dutch Foundation for Literature. She received scholarships to South Africa, America, Italy, France and Germany.

Van de Griend  has lived with the concept of contrast, cultural differences, and the confrontation between the sexes from an early age on. In her work she aims to deceive reality by joining contradictions, to use as a starting point for contemplation.

More about the artist :

www.evelinevandegriend.com