Paper
bomb

Imagine all bombs were made of paper...

Monumental yet fragile, Nezilla's sculpture "Paperbomb" is a symbol of peace, remembrance and friendship. It is currently on a journey to exhibition venues in France, Germany and Italy that are significant in terms of war history.

Inspired by the 1,600 origami cranes made by Hibakusha Sadako Sasaki – a globally recognised symbol of peace – Nezilla conveys this message in a new medium. The sculpture "Paperbomb" echoes the delicate forms of paper, but is made of metal. It is precisely this contrast that makes its central idea visible: the ambivalence of destruction and creation, of war and peace.

With its massive, unavoidable presence, the sculpture forces us to confront it. It focuses on the role of the individual – between fragility and perseverance in their commitment to peace. Its message is clear: if we do not fight for peace, it will not exist.

‘Paperbomb’ is not a unique piece, but part of a series of sculptures – a deliberate reference to the universal validity of its message as a symbol of peace. In this serial form, it reaches a broad international audience across borders, languages and cultures.

The deliberate placement of "Paperbomb" in locations in France that were the scene of massacres and crimes during the First and Second World Wars gives it contextual significance. While exhibiting the sculpture in historically charged locations amplifies the tensions inherent in the work, the artwork becomes a memorial against forgetting and serves as a call to actively promote peace. In a global society marked by armed conflict, the message of preserving peace as a common goal is more urgent than ever.

The various locations refer to the territorial extent of the war crimes and at the same time point to the many individual fates of the victims. This creates a location-dependent dynamic between the work and its surroundings, initiating an ongoing dialogue and thus creating an overall picture that forcefully demonstrates to the viewer how quickly one's own actions can become a threat.

As a memorial against forgetting and a symbol of peace, ‘Paperbomb’ reminds us that we must learn from history in order not to repeat the mistakes of the past. In her artistic exploration, she embodies not only the memory of past deeds, but also the hope for a more peaceful future, paved by political friendship and solidarity.

Nezilla is a German-Italian artist.

Her art reflects the entanglement of current socio-political discourses and how these influence social interaction. Nezilla's work is shaped by overarching aspects of human perception and structural mechanisms, the consequences of which are presented not only as physical confrontations but also as a struggle for interpretive authority in public perception.