L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 5 Imago Mundi: Luciano Benetton's global art project I m a g o M u n d i i s a u n i q u e artistic map of the world that Luciano Benetton devised during his travels around the world, after his retirement in 2 0 0 8 . H e h a p p e n e d t o b e i n South America in the studio of an emerging artist and the Italian enlightened entrepreneur who has always loved art since an early age asked the artist for a b u s i n e s s c a r d . I n s t e a d o f a b u s i n e s s c a r d h e r e c e i v e d a small completed canvas (10 cm x 12cm) with the artist's contact information. T h a t l i t t l e p a i n t i n g w a s a present that marked a turning p o i n t i n B e n e t t o n ' s l i f e . H e decided at that moment that he would commission a diverse collection of art from all five continents. The first thousand paintings from contemporary a r t i s t s f r o m A u s t r a l i a (Aboriginal art), India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States were presented in 2013 as a collateral event of the 55th International Art Exhibition - Venice Biennale, at the Querini S t a m p a l i a F o u n d a t i o n a n d M u s e u m , d e s i g n e d b y C a r l o S c a r p a . O v e r t w o h u n d r e d artworks from each country were grouped according to nationality and continents and presented w i t h i n a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y installation designed by architect Tobia Scarpa. T h i s w e l c o m i n g s t r u c t u r e helps the understanding of the collection in its interdisciplinary approach. It looks like an ideal library that the viewer enters and is able to interact with the artworks, as if they were books. The collection, which by now includes 6930 artists from 40 c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g L a t i n A m e r i c a , E a s t e r n E u r o p e , Russia, and all of Africa will be featured from August 31 until N o v e m b e r 1 , 2 0 1 5 a t t h e G i o r g i o C i n i F o u n d a t i o n i n V e n i c e . T h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e exhibition is free. Imago Mundi, a long term, non profit endeavour is indeed an ongoing international project, a n a r t i s t i c j o u r n e y t h r o u g h exhibitions, catalogues, and a n e w p o r t a l o n t h e w e b ( w w w . i m a g o m u n d i a r t . c o m ) with the aim of showing to the w i d e s t p o s s i b l e a u d i e n c e a multifaceted artistic tapestry, which includes not only painters and sculptors but also architects, designers, writers, poets, and m u s i c i a n s . T h e r e s u l t i s a n u n p r e c e d e n t e d k a l e i d o s c o p e which introduces the audience to each country in all its artistic r i c h n e s s . B y t h e y e a r 2 0 1 6 Imago Mundi will include over 50 countries and 10 000 artists. Through the inclusion of a huge number of artists, the Imago Mundi project may well be a contribution to an enriching c u l t u r a l , s o c i a l , a n d c i v i l dialogue. The artists are featured with a short 150 word profile and with their special completed canvas which can be flipped and seen also from behind to allow for a 360 degree appreciation of t h i s i n t e r a c t i v e e x h i b i t i o n . Accompanying the shows is a s e t o f h a r d c o v e r c a t a l o g s p u b l i s h e d b y T e r r a F e r m a E d i z i o n i , w i t h f u l l c o l o u r illustrations of every work of art, front and back. The works are reproduced on a one to one scale. The catalogues are on sale at the Venice Biennale, major book stores and online from the Fabrica store. Fabrica is a communications r e s e a r c h c e n t r e , s t u d i o a n d school. It is based in Treviso, Italy, and is an integral part of the Benetton Group. It is hosted i n a m a g n i f i c e n t b u i l d i n g designed by Tado Ando who m a n a g e d t o c o m b i n e h i s appreciation for Andrea Palladio and Carlo Scarpa, linking this w a y t h e b e s t o f I t a l i a n Renaissance with 20th century modernism. This cultural organization is specially designed to address 2 1 s t c e n t u r y i s s u e s a n d opportunities. It is based on d i v e r s i t y – o f p e o p l e , perspectives, and technologies - to actively seek the new and the emerging. Upcoming designers, j o u r n a l i s t s , a r t i s t s a n d r e s e a r c h e r s c a n a p p l y f o r a s c h o l a r s h i p t o w o r k a n d b e involved with Fabrica. Luciano Benetton does not o n l y h a v e a l o v e f o r c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t b u t h e i s g r e a t l y i n v o l v e d i n t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f i m p o r t a n t churches such as San Theonistus in Treviso and other ancient buildings all over Italy which once fully restored, will become cultural centres and exhibition spaces. He truly believes that the goal of art is to open up to the world making us understand the o t h e r w i t h n o l i m i t a t i o n s o r borders. He does not see himself as an art connoisseur or expert but even though he was engaged i n t h e m o s t d i f f e r e n t professional endeavours in life he was deeply influenced by artistic avant-gardes because of t h e i r d y n a m i c e n e r g y a n d visionary spirit. Imago Mundi translates to "image of the world" and this is truly the most suitable title for a unique democratic artistic map of the world. FRANCESCA VALENTE Luciano Benetton with works from "Imago Mundi." The exhibition MAP OF THE NEW ART includes collections from more than 40 nations

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