The Mirror of Peace

6 Nov 2025 

In June 2025, Cankarjev dom hosted Global Hearth Summit, a meeting dedicated to the transformative power of human well-being, which brought together nearly a thousand activists from around the world, visionaries, thought leaders, and creatives who influence and change our society through their work. One of the Summit’s initiatives was the spatial installation The Mirror of Peace, presented by the Draiflessen Collection, by Berlin-based Dutch artist Renee van Bavel, who explores the themes of peace, humanity, freedom, and democracy. This approach is exemplified by her immersive artwork, The Mirror of Peace, which invited the viewers to engage with these topics on a deeply personal level. The spatial work was installed in the Council of Europe Park outside Cankarjev dom between 13–27 June 2025, at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, as well as in 2023, on the anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia, in Münster and Osnabrück, Germany. The viewers see their own full-sized reflections, and read a text saying: “This is what people living in peace look like.” It serves as a powerful reminder that peace is precious and cannot be taken for granted, and that we must act consciously—every day—to preserve this peace. We invite you to watch the video recorded by the artist, which captures the experiences of visitors in Ljubljana.