[attach id=566541 size="medium"]An exhibition that looks at violence, war and peace through art is currently running in Valletta.[/attach]

The winners and runners-up of the Artraker Biennial Awards are currently being exhibited in Valletta.

The awards for 2016-2017 are focused on critical challenges to resilient societies and peacemaking today. The call for submissions asked for art that addresses three themes: art that inspires imaginative leadership, art that uses space to promote inclusion and resilience and art that counters dominant divisive narratives.

A total of 250 submissions from over 90 countries were received and assessed by an international jury. From these, a trailblazing group of nine artists were selected, three of them award winners.

The winners and runners-up have been included in this exhibition alongside three works drawn by Maltese artists and art generated by the One in a Million art-impact project which saw Maltese schoolchildren prepare artwork that reflects their appreciation of diversity.

The Artraker Foundation has two core missions. Firstly, to shape how we understand violence and war and their effects through art. Secondly, to inspire better peace through art, whether at the local level or through peacemaking. As a Maltese voluntary organisation, the Artraker Foundation strongly believes that art and culture have a role to play in promoting social cohesion in the country.

■ The exhibition runs as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme at St James Cavalier in Valletta until March 26. For more information, visit http://kreattivita.org .