Published Date: 01/10/2025
Category: News
On October 1 the first Global Humanitarian Memorial, created by Michael Landy CBE, RA, was launched by HRH The Prince of Wales in Gunnersbury Park, to commemorate all humanitarians who have died in service – of whatever nationality – and to celebrate humanitarianism and those who continue to put their lives at risk to help others in need.
Colleagues and family of humanitarian workers who have been killed in service were invited to the launch event, as well as representatives from the humanitarian and arts sectors, and local dignitaries.
Gunnersbury Park, West London, was chosen as the site for the memorial due to the local demographic of people who have been affected by humanitarian disasters around the world. The memorial offers a lasting tribute to aid workers in a peaceful setting, which welcomes both interaction and reflection.
The CAS *Consultancy was tasked with commissioning a contemporary artist to carry out this project, for which Michael Landy CBE, RA was unanimously selected. Landy’s design features a circle of 15 human-scale figures, grouped in fives, with spaces allowing visitors to join hands to ‘complete the circle.’ Each figure features the first-hand story of either a giver or recipient of humanitarian assistance – stories that have been provided by international aid agencies like Oxfam, Save the Children and Care International.
This important sculpture spotlights humanitarian ideals and honours humanitarian aid workers. Right now, aid workers are deployed in all kinds of conflicts and disasters across the globe. Their work is critical to the preservation of life and human dignity for millions of people around the world but is also increasingly dangerous - often they are deliberately targeted in attacks designed to intimidate and disrupt humanitarian programmes for the civilians affected in conflicts.
The open-air Memorial will enter the collection of Gunnersbury Park Museum, which has an established Education and Outreach programme, and presents an ideal format for sharing stories of the memorial and humanitarianism more widely.