Roses of Hope — transformed into Bird of Hope for Peace

The action “Roses of Hope” — transformed into “Bird of Hope for Peace”

I am excited to share my project: “Bird of Hope for Peace” (in collaboration with the Idrija Lace School and the Idrija Tourism Institute), which has been in the making for two years - beginning with the international open call Rose of Hope in 2023, in which lace-makers from around the world were invited to create Roses of Hope for the 42nd Festival of Idrija Lace in 2024.

A year ago, at the 42nd Festival of Idrija Lace, almost a thousand Roses of Hope, created according to the pattern made by Maja Svetlik from Idrija Lace School, arrived in Idrija from 11 countries. There, they were entrusted to me to create from them a collective symbolic Rose of Hope.

Rose of Hope exhibition at the 42nd Festival of Idrija Lace       With Metka Fortuna, the Head of Idrija Lace School

I am honored to have been entrusted with these 1,000 roses infused with hopes of the numerous lace makers from around the world and to have transformed them into a new work of art: “Bird of Hope for Peace.”

Video on Rose of Hope Action: https://vimeo.com/982515864

This piece embodies not only the hopes of so many lacemakers worldwide, but also echoes the memory of those who suffered at the Ljubelj (Loibl) Pass concentration camp, a satellite of the Mauthausen concentration camp. Both mark 80 years of liberation this year.

As part of the transformation process from “Roses of Hope” to “Bird of Hope for Peace,”

There, united in a “Circle of Hope That Cannot Be Broken,” the Roses of Hope carried emotions of joy, love, and prosperity — in all their colors — into the gray, broken stones that still bear witness to human cruelty and the collapse of humanity through the vice of Nazism.

In a deeply symbolic gesture, I brought the roses to the site of the Ljubelj concentration camp, on the 80th anniversary of its liberation. There, a “Circle of Hope That Cannot Be Broken” was formed — from which the bird was born.

From this “Circle of Hope That Cannot Be Broken,” the “Bird of Hope for Peace” was born — naturally, effortlessly, and almost by coincidence.

I listened to the Roses of Hope and followed their sign — recreating the “Bird of Hope for Peace,” which now awaits its rightful alignment into a constellation of peace for the entire world.

Let us come together as human beings, united by a shared hope for peace and for the future of our one and only humanity.

 You are kindly invited to experience the action “Roses of Hope” — transformed into “Bird of Hope for Peace” — beginning this Thursday, June 12th, at 18:00 at  Prelovčeva 1, Idrija. This event also marks the opening of the renowned Idrija Lace Festival and will run throughout its duration.

After the festival, Bird of Hope for Peace will remain in Idrija, continuing to inspire and remind us that if we wish to achieve hope, we must never lose hope itself.

Heartfelt thanks to all the lacemakers whose beautiful creations made this project possible; to the Idrija Tourist Institute, especially Valerija Božič, who never lost faith in this vision; to Maja Svetlik for translating my idea into a pattern for lacemakers to follow; to the Idrija Lace School and its Head, Mrs. Metka Fortuna, for their support — and to everyone else along the way who contributed, even if not mentioned here.

Let this exhibition be a tribute to all who suffered during the Second World War — a reminder that their pain was not in vain and that peace is still worth hoping for.

May this exhibition serve as a reminder that peace is not guaranteed — and that we must never lose hope in order to achieve it.

You are warmly invited to the opening of the exhibition “Bird of Hope for Peace” on Thursday, June 12th, 2025, at 6 PM at  Prelovčeva 1, Idrija. The event marks the official start of the Idrija Lace Festival 2025, and the exhibition will remain on view throughout the festival.

Copyright © Eva Petrič, 2025, Bildrecht Vienna, All rights reserved.