The Project

fun·da·men·tal·ism (noun)
  1. A usually religious movement or point of view characterised by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism.
  2. An organised, militant Evangelical movement originating in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century in opposition to Protestant Liberalism and secularism, insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture.
  3. Adherence to the theology of this movement.

What Is Fundamental?

Fundamental is an international multi-media arts festival taking place within 4 European cities between September 2007 to June 2008.

'Fundamental' seeks to highlight the nature of fundamentalism as an international phenomenon, across the religious and political spectrums, through the mixed disciplinary work of artists worldwide.

'Fundamental' will comprise of a large-scale visual art exhibition, with accompanying film screenings, presentations and discussions.

'Fundamental' is a timely glimpse into the disturbing world of global religious extremism, intended to dispel falsehoods, shock, inform and inspire debate.

Background:

When future historians examine the turn of the 21st century, one theme will stand out: religious fundamentalism. Global fundamentalism as a phenomena denotes many religiously motivated politically active groups existing in a variety of religious traditions and political systems.

Fundamentalism exists in every corner of the world and in every major faith tradition, most notably in Islam and Christianity. The rise of fundamentalism as a global movement can be traced back to the 1970s. Since then there has been a continued worldwide upsurge in conservative and fundamentalist movements in religion, wielding an increasingly powerful influence socially and politically. All fundamentalist movements share a robust critique of modernity, liberalism, which are perceived as hostile and threatening, and a desire to engage in conflicts with those who are seen as espousing such secularist policies.

Over the past few years, an increase in global conflicts, particularly in the middle east, has polarised public opinion in societies worldwide, increasing the popularity of fundamentalist movements and appearing to give strength to their arguments.

More often than not, the contributions made by the mainstream press and politicians have only served to further aggravate the situation and polarise debate. (A recent example of this being in the Danish publication 'Jyllands-Posten', of provocative cartoons dealing with the Islamic faith, resulting in widespread upset across Europeand worldwide, and in turn leading to the recent reactionary and provocative Holocaust cartoon competition in Iran).

A deeper shared understanding of global fundamentalist movements is vital.

Knowledge of the history, causes, and nature of fundamentalism is urgent in the interests of worldwide peace and security, in the growth of fair, equal and sustainable societies, and in the promotion of an increased understanding and tolerance among faiths.