Tolerance Posters

On September 18, 2025, we held the opening of a beautifully displayed Tolerance Poster Show at Belgrade Fortress   (Kalemegdan) in Belgrade, Serbia. The show was a part of the broader Tolerance Campaign — a joint initiative of the United Nations and the Council of Europe launched earlier this year to promote inclusion and counter hate speech. The exhibition underscores efforts to use art, education, and public engagement to challenge prejudice and strengthen solidarity. But that didn’t last long. After being hung, the posters of Andrzej Pagowski of Poland, Blazo Kovacevic of Montenegro, and Levente Bendek of Romania were soon vandalized. The poster of Levente Bendek was vandalized repeatedly. First, somebody drew a skinhead symbol and scratched homophobic slurs. Then, someone ripped the rainbow flag depicted in the poster. After that, even more hateful messages and symbols were drawn over a rainbow flag that continues to be torn. So much for tolerance. Unfortunately, this happens ...

  As a present from my friend, I received this beautiful painting by Brad Holland . He was probably the most influential American illustrator after the WWII.   Not only was I gifted the painting, I also received two pieces of reference material Brad used to create his painting—a Polaroid of his assistant Jonathan Twingley and the yamaka which he was wearing in the polaroid.   Brad turned the yamaka with concentric rings into an archery target by adding characteristic colours. He painted this to create a poster for my Tolerance Project Inc. , the traveling Tolerance Poster Show.    Brad Holland was my friend. His work and personality had tremendous influence on me. Because of his illustration, " The Junkie " from 1971, I became a professional illustrator.   I miss him a lot.      

O n July 26th, 2025, a student Tolerance workshop was held for young school students aged 16-18 at June Art Home in Phitsanulok, Thailand. This was the second Tolerance workshop held there . A total of 23 hand-drawn, innovative and visually-stunning student Tolerance posters were created and displayed alongside the main Tolerance Poster Show. June Art Home was founded by Chitlada Wiriyaprasit – June in 1997. Her school focuses on kids and youth. She teaches her students with an open-ended approach in mind, which gives them a broad degree of freedom to create their art and design. Starting with painting, clay work, and collage art, she now also hosts alternative movie screenings and partners with organizations to create activities that help kids and youth enjoy art. This workshop was made possible by the tireless efforts of Chitlada Wiriyaprasit – June, Kritchanat Plianchoei – Ton, Paphawarin Seeladee – June, and Akarawut Kraikhajornkiti – Nae, with support from North Danaiphan.

I am excited to announce a series of upcoming Tolerance Poster Shows in Italy.   'A city historically a hub of exchange and ideas, Trieste offers a unique setting for reflecting on tolerance, understood not only as a value but as an essential art form of coexistence. It becomes the ideal stage for Mirko Ilić's Tolerance Project to debut in our region. Cizerouno , with "Varcare la frontiera_Tolleranza," funded by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, will organize the Tolerance Project with a series of regional stops in Trieste, Gorizia, and Udine between September and December 2025.   The project will premiere in Lampedusa starting July as part of the events for Agrigento 2025, Capital of Culture.   Thanks to the support of the Autonomous Authority for the Archaeological and Landscape Park of the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento, banners will be installed on the façade of the Archaeological Museum and on Via Roma, thus renewing our association's collab...