Canadian author Margaret Atwood once claimed that: “War is what happens when language fails.”

The war in Ukraine is a case in point – political demagoguery and failure in the language of diplomacy have ushered in a war in Europe, decades after the Yugoslav War of the 1990s had pillaged and destroyed whole communities as a consequence of the Yugoslav federation of countries coming apart, precipitated by the death of Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito.

The names of Slobodan Milošević, Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić became household names after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the disintegration of the Soviet Union into several republics. These unsavoury protagonists captured the attention of everyone as news of atrocities like the Srebrenica massacre rekindled memories of the two 20th-century world wars, the stage for the vilest and depraved, inhuman behaviour.

For a number of years, Europe had lived in relative peace although the other continents have continued to struggle because, as Atwood said, language failed and mutual comprehension and empathy did not form part of the vernacular of warlords and morally corrupt leaders.

War usually happens for one of a handful of reasons, among which are ideology, religion and extreme nationalism. Former Beatle John Lennon, in his anthem for world peace Imagine, craved for a ‘brotherhood of man’ which would be more possible if these three causes that often result in strife are eliminated from the equation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin euphemistically tries to portray this war as a necessity – to eliminate what he claims are neo-Nazi influences in what is essentially a democratic neighbour whose leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, has Jewish ancestry!

Putin’s dreams of grandeur have met with the brave resistance of the Ukrainians. The latter had previously been tasting a measure of democratic freedom and weren’t ready to suffer the excesses of an ugly dictatorship, or pseudo-democracy, that is Russia today. The decision of one egoistic person has affected the daily life of millions who have lost almost everything.

It is heart-wrenching to watch footage of schools and hospitals targeted by the marauding Russian army; to listen to the stories of women and children who have been raped by the monsters disguised as ‘soldiers’; to see old people staring at heavens and hoping for some delivery from this hell on earth.

It is devastating even to witness the scared looks of pets that have been left to fend on their own as their owners have been murdered or have become refugees and, therefore, could hardly look after themselves, let alone their panic-stricken pets.

This is all the bloodthirsty legacy of a megalomanic dictator.

The participating artists are attempting, through such a donation, to offer some reprieve to some of these displaced persons

Ukrainian refugees are in the millions, homeless and at their wits’ end and in need of all the help they can get. Maltese contemporary artist Madeleine Gera’s initiative to organise such an event is to be lauded. She has reached out to a number of her colleagues and organised a collective pop-up exhibition of Maltese art with the aim of donating the proceeds, or part of them in some cases, to these poor souls who have fled their homeland.

Aptly titled The Safe Haven, the participating artists are attempting, through such a donation, to offer some reprieve to some of these displaced persons and an aid in their search for a safe place that would momentarily offer them refuge and food.

The home is generally our ‘safe haven’, a place in which we can rest, recollect our thoughts and discuss with other members of our families. These Ukrainian refugees have lost all of this as most of their houses have been blown to smithereens. Some of them have lost contact with members of their families.

The artists who have contributed some of their works to such a great cause are to be lauded for their generosity. After all, one of the attributes of art is to elevate the human experience to a higher sphere. And this especially so during such telling times of conflict.

Exhibition open only for a few hours

The artists who have graciously accepted to participate in The Safe Haven are Claire Albanozzo, Doranne Alden, Marisa Attard, Alaine Baker, Francesca Balzan, Johanna Barthet, Rune Bo Jakobsen, Debbie Bonello, Andrew Borg, Fabio Borg, Jeni Caruana, Grace Cassar, Catherine Cavallo, Patrick Dalli, Joanna Dounis, Paul Farrugia, Karl Fröman, Anna Galea, Patrick Galea, Madeleine Gera, Ġoxwa, Anna Grima, Vic Manduca, Andrew Micallef, Amelia Saint George, Valerio Schembri, Monica Spiteri, Roberta Zammit Cutajar and Kenneth Zammit Tabona.

The pop-up exhibition, hosted by The Casino Maltese, Valletta, will be officially inaugurated by Marchesino Daniel de Petri Testaferrata, president of the Maltese Association of the Order of Malta, on Wednesday, May 11, at 6.30pm and closes on the same day at 9pm.

The Order of Malta will be the charity that will be directing the funds to where it’s most needed. Organiser and curator Gera would like to thank The Farsons Foundation, Rausi Wines, The Order of Malta, The Casino Maltese, Zaffarese Signs, Jules Bardock Vella and all the participants for their generosity. Donations can be sent to Bank of Valletta plc IBAN: MT24 VALL 22013000000040023355433; Beneficiary name: Maltese Association Order of Malta. Address: Casa Lanfreducci, Pjazza Jean de Valette, Valletta.