HEART 17 to Unveil 2023 Art Piece for Hope

21 April, 2023 – Heart 17 has announced that it will display its highly anticipated 2023 Art Piece for Hope on Nasdaq Tower in Times Square on UN World Creativity and Innovation Day today. Building on the yearlong art installation of hope that was first projected onto the UN Building in New York last May, the collaborative initiative, led by designer and curator Sahara Widoff, aims to spread a message of the need for radical optimism and collaboration amidst the world's rising challenges.

The 2023 art piece, named 'Human Choice', draws inspiration from the UNDP Human Development Report and serves as a messenger for the need of more creativity and collaboration to accelerate change.

Like last year, the art piece is centered around seventeen pieces of a heart, which symbolize collaboration and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Each piece has been filled by one of 17 youth organizations, businesses, and artists comprised by Aderinasola Babawale, Cake, Children Climate Prize, Climate Live, Epidemic Sound, Exquisite Corpse, EY Doberman, Houdini Sportswear, Game, H&M Foundation, José González, Joshua Idehen, New Dimensions by ELLE, Spotify, Studio Hum Interactive, What took you so long, and X Shore.

Seven months ago, the partners were invited to participate in the initiative by answering the question "What does hope mean to you? And why?". The responses became stories that have since been interpreted into a film by Sahara Widoff and her team.

Sahara Widoff, Lead Curator of the 2023 Art Piece of Hope, commented:

"We firmly believe that the creative strength of a collective inspires action and through the medium of film, we not only relate to each other but also manifest the power of collaboration. In this case, we wanted to return to the notion of inspiring dialogue and focus on stories that evoke hope. It is through these subjective views that we somehow share the experiences of many and fulfill the longing to feel connected."

Sahara Widoff, based in Stockholm, has considerable experience within the arts and culture sector and counts among her current and previous clients: Acne Studios, Alexander McQueen, Arket, Milano Furniture Fair, ICA London, Serpentine, Liberty London, Liljewalchs, and Nobel Prize Museum.

Commenting on the collaboration with Sahara Widoff, Managing Director of Heart 17, Anna Rindefjell, added:

“We are extraordinarily grateful to Sahara Widoff and all participating collaborators who have demonstrated a deep commitment to the mission of using creativity and collaboration to counteract despair and bring back hope. As we now gear up for the first ever Week of Hope, which will take place from April 21-28, 2023, we will also continue to invite other artists and creators to use their unique talents to create pieces that inspire hope and drive accelerated action towards the Global Goals.”

The initiative is funded by Heart 17 partners EY and H&M Foundation.

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