“During World War II, it became nonsensical to get involved in painting men playing violins, or cellos, or flowers,”1 reflected Barnett Newman, as he rationalised the value of the (then) unappreciated abstract movement. Today, as we witness the escalation of regional conflicts in Africa, Eastern Europe or the Middle East, Newman's words resonate with renewed significance. In an era teetering on the brink of global conflict, abstract art emerges as a more fitting artistic expression reflective of contemporary world affairs.