Face to Face
Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection
Dialogues, comparisons and bridges: 10×12 cm works by 900 artists compose the mosaic of contemporary creativity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia
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| Bosanski kulturni centar, Sarajevo |
An aesthetic and artistic composition made up of new and original visions from the most significant artists of seven of Europe’s most recent republics: Face to Face, the new stage in Imago Mundi’s journey, connects, unites, pushes back and compares, in a exhibition hosted at the Bosnian Cultural Centre in Sarajevo, from 9th to 28th May.
It is no coincidence that Imago Mundi’s latest appointment takes place on 9th May, Europe Day, in Sarajevo, a key city for European and world history, evocative of cruel and painful wounds. The aspiration is to overcome borders, heal rifts and build new paths, channelling the creative energy of nearly 900 artists, who have come together in the name of a shared ideal of beauty.
The opening of the exhibition will be preceded by a round table, which will be held at 12pm/noon. The event aims to generate a conversation on the subject of contemporary art in these countries and will consist of three phases: an initial moment of dialogue between the curators of the collections; a focus on Bosnia with the participation of local artists; and finally an exploration, from multiple perspectives, of artistic experience across the whole region.
Countries in which complex historical events, marked by the interchange and – often restless – coexistence of different peoples, cultures and religions, have occurred in a mutable region composed of mountains, coastlines, rivers, islands and plains: the result is a cultural landscape whose defining feature is the bridge, that unites and invites encounters, because, in the words of Ivo Andrić, hope and the future often lie on “the other side.”
Thus, Imago Mundi brings the artists, their works and, by extension, the realities of belonging, “Face to Face”: in this encounter the parties are not divided and distant, but, by virtue of their differences, in fact, find common ground for constructive comparison and mutual growth.
Imago Mundi is the non-profit contemporary art project promoted by Luciano Benetton: artists from around the world, established and emerging, take up the challenge of the same medium, a 10×12 cm canvas; to date, 20,000 artists from 120 countries, regions and peoples, have become involved in the project, and this number will rise to 26,000 by the end of 2017. The artists are promoted internationally through catalogues, the imagomundiart.com web platform, Google Arts & Culture and participation in shows and exhibitions.