Artist Exchange International rose out of the ashes of 9/11. It is this situation that catapulted a group of downtown artists to reexamine the role of the artist and art production in relation to real world events. AEI creates a forum for artists to present their views and to interact on a global level in in ways in ways that are urgent for them and meaningful to the cross-cultural dialogue of pressing worldwide issues.

As a result of the Belfast Exchange, AEI's cultural dialogue has grown from its roots to address issues of globalization, environmental concerns, technology, history and conflict. Using the Metropolitan Museum of Art as its base, Through Our Eyes Wuppertal/New York extends this inquiry to the diverse perspectives of artists from different countries as they interact past and present with cultural history.

The intertwine of ideas track the nature of creativity in action and the value of dialogue that has existed between artists and community over time.