How to Use Artistic Strategies to Attenuate Cultural Conflicts and Communication Barriers: Taking 'A cup of stories' Project as an Example

摘要

The concept of culture is very complex and composed of many different elements, parts and layers. To create a platform of understanding among different cultures, it is important to be aware of the complexity of the term "culture". The project "A Cup of Stories" set out a series of interventions in public space to foster storytelling and tear down different stereotypes people create about different cultures. Cultural conflicts have escalated in the past decades and especially with the biggest refugee crisis in post-war Europe. Media has played a big role in shaping people's perception and understanding of different cultures; as well it created borders and widened the gap between them. Using an explorative and artistic approach, through the interventions in public space different approaches were taken. It is not easy to break these borders to bring people together. Sharing stories among different people of different cultural backgrounds could open new possibilities for interfacing and living together, to narrow the gap between differences and strengthen the social bond in a society by community building through storytelling.