Bran Symondson is an amnesty award winner who has brought together 23 artists for “AKA peace”, which is an art assignment where the designers should envision a decommissioned AK-47 rifle. The work were produced by the global peace campaign called peace one day. The AK-47 is well-known as a symbol of war and they are picked from various war consumed areas all around the world. These weapons were showed at the institute of contemporary arts in London and they have also been auctioned out and the money went to the global truce 2013 campaign. The project has been described by Brandon Symondson, which is one of the artists participating.
He said: “while serving in Afghanistan and also returning as a photographer for the sunday times magazine, I used to see how the afghan national police (ANP) would sometimes adorn their AK47s with either colourful stickers, roses, or glitter tape. That’s where the seed was planted for the project. then one day, I was taking cover from incoming AK47 fire in a ditch with a young ANP lad sat next to me with a bloody rose at the end of [his gun]. I laughed and thought when or if I get home the irony of taking these things and turning them into art works has to be done.”
