Parallel 42 – A Circle of Humanity

Differences, references, connections: 10×12 cm works by more than 3,200 artists in an exhibition that aims to tear down walls and bring visions together along the 42nd parallel.
COD (Centre for Openness and Dialogue), Tirana

11 November 2021 – 31 December 2021

A figurative journey around the world, across the northern hemisphere along the 42nd parallel: this is what “Parallel 42 – A Circle of Humanity” offers us, the new exhibition by the Imago Mundi Foundation, hosted at the invitation of COD, the Centre for Openness and Dialogue, set in the prestigious premises of the Council of Ministers, in Tirana, Albania, from 11 November 2021 to 31 December 2021.

The idea for this exhibition has its roots in the global pandemic, a terrifying and sudden moment in time that made us discover a shared fate and a shared awareness. As the difficult return to normality unfolds, the questions that keep simmering, ever present, resurface: the era of walls that had appeared behind us is forcefully returning to the stage, and we are witnessing the erection of fences and barriers, many of which, in fact, in countries that are crossed by the 42nd parallel. The exhibition offers an invitation to tear down these walls, real and ideological, and to recognise in their place a shared direction, that common thread that moves unseen, bringing us closer to one another.

Imago Mundi's journey begins in Albania, historically a European crossroads, between West and East: from the Greeks to the Romans, from the Slavs to the Ottomans, who made it a blend of cultures that intertwined, influencing one another.

The itinerary along the 42nd parallel continues through Europe, Asia and America: Turkey and Georgia, worlds between two continents; Russia and a number of former Soviet republics and regions, with their history of monasteries and mosques; Mongolia, China and Japan, countries that are in many respects both close and equally distant; North Korea, an almost inaccessible country where art nonetheless manages to penetrate; Canada, with its boundless spaces, and the United States, the essential expression of Western culture; and finally, the Old Continent, with the shared Latin roots of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, and the Danubian and Balkan landscapes of Bulgaria that bring us back once again to where this exploration began.

At the end of the journey, a discovery awaits us: art unites where history, politics or geography divide, in the name of a shared ideal of beauty that crosses borders and passes over mountains, deserts, plains and oceans.

This exhibition, which will be accompanied by a calendar of meetings with curators and artists, thus traces a circular path made up of humanity: men and women who figuratively embrace, shake hands and form a chain, or rather a mosaic, just like the works of the Imago Mundi Collection, symbolic pieces in the grand mosaic of the Art of Humanity.

Imago Mundi Collection is the contemporary art collection envisioned by Luciano Benetton, bringing together established and emerging artists from every continent: an evolving, democratic, collective and global map of human cultures, aimed at promoting research, knowledge and dialogue in the name of art and expressive diversity. Under the care of the Fondazione Imago Mundi, the non-profit project has so far involved more than 26,000 artists from 160 countries or indigenous communities, side by side on the very same starting line: a 10×12 cm canvas. All the artists in the Imago Mundi collection are promoted internationally through catalogues dedicated to each collection; exhibitions, events and seminars organised around the world; the websites www.fondazioneimagomundi.org and www.imagomundicollection.org, and the Google Arts & Culture platform.

COD (the Centre for Openness and Dialogue) is an important art centre in Albania, located within the premises of the Council of Ministers. Inside, visitors have free access to the Prime Minister's Library, which houses a rich collection of books, maps, catalogues and publications, including political ones, related to European integration and diplomacy. COD organises exhibitions, events, debates and shows by important artists of international standing, with particular attention to inclusion, to diversity as a form of wealth, and to the sharing of cultures and art, both from Albania and from the rest of the world.

Curated by Elton Koritari and Albes Fusha.

Imago Mundi Collection Parallel42 – A Circle of Humanity
COD (The Center for Openness and Dialogue)
Prime Minister's Office
Bulevardi “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, 1 – Tirana
11th November – 31st December 2021

Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:30 – 14:30 / 17:30 – 20:30 Saturday: 17:30-20:30

Entrance from the Main Boulevard
*Visitors must wear a mask in accordance with Covid restrictions.
OPENING: 11 November 2021, 19:00 Entrance from the Main Boulevard
*Visitors must wear a mask in accordance with Covid restrictions.

For more information:
Imago Mundi Foundation barbara.liverotti@fondazioneimagomundi.org / +39 334 990 1269 imagomundicollection.org; fondazioneimagomundi.org
Centre for Openness and Dialogue (COD)
—Ena Bulku
ena.bulku@kryeministria.al / +35542277546 / +355694264823 www.cod.al