Imago Mundi's Great and North Exhibition Opens at Palazzo Loredan in Venice

Luciano Benetton's Imago Mundi project, a global contemporary art initiative featuring over 20,000 artists from more than 140 countries, has arrived at Palazzo Loredan in Venice. The exhibition, titled Great and North, focuses on North America and showcases 759 artists from Central-Eastern Canada, Western Canada, Inuit communities, and Indigenous North Americans. Curated by Francesca Valente (Central-Eastern Canada) and Jennifer Karch Verzè (Western Canada, Inuit, Indigenous North Americans), the show runs until October 29, 2017. Each artist contributed a 10x12 cm canvas, creating a mosaic that reflects the region's diverse landscapes—from Nunavut's ice to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific coast. Works employ oil, acrylic, pastel, seal skin, soapstone, alabaster, nails, and rose petals. Benetton describes the project as a democratic, global cultural initiative celebrating expressive diversity. Imago Mundi aims to include 26,000 artists by end of 2017. Previous venues include Rome, Naples, Palermo, Turin, Dakar, New York, Vienna, and Sarajevo.