The concept behind the non-profit art project titled, "Imago Mundi," which was established by the creator and founder of the brand United Colors of Benetton, Luciano Benetton, was born from the concept of "limitless world, limitless art" and aims to make a global, collective and democratic map of the culture of humanity by bringing together various modern art experiences from different corners of the globe.
The Imago Mundi project, which has only one single criteria for local modern artists that they create artwork measuring 10-by-12 centimeters, has already seen more than 20,000 artists who have participated from more than 140 countries from regions around the world.
Imago Mundi conceptual catalogue Curated by Claudia Scoretti and Dr. Irina
Ungureanu, the Imago Mundi catalogue, published in 2016 under the title, "Istanbul Codex, Contemporary Artists from Turkey," is a collation of the works of 227 Turkish artists and features a preface by Luciano Benetton and curator Lora Sarıaslan, who also prepared the conceptual content for the catalogue.
Venice Biennial Imago Mundi's final stop
Some 759 artists from Canada and North America, including architects, photographers, writers, musicians and sculptors, came together for Imago Mundi's final collection titled, "Great and North," which reflects the spirit and magnificence of Imago Mundi himself. On the other hand, artists from a range of cultural backgrounds including Eskimo, American and Canadian descent transferred their modern artistic experiences onto 10-by-12-centimeter canvases for the exhibition, which is now on display at the Palazzo Loredan in tandem with the Venice Biennial, hosted by Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti from Aug. 29 to Sept. 29.
Curated by Francesca Valente and Jennifer Karch Verze, the exhibition "Great and North" is home to works that are inspired by a variety of colorful cultures, encouraging the viewer to learn more about the lands that are represented in the art through artistic impressions that exceed our imaginations.
Oil paintings, acrylic and pastel works, many of which depict adventures from polar Nunavut to the green, Midwestern U.S. and from the magnificent Rocky Mountains to the Pacific beaches, were created along with art formed from soapstone, alabaster, rose petals and the ink of squid.
