One World

2025, One World

Curatorial Statement

The exhibition One World emerges as a profound and necessary reflection on contemporary times, immersed in issues of global interdependence, cultural diversity, and the complex dynamics of globalization. Featuring 41 artists from 19 nationalities and a variety of 88 works, including videos, textiles, performative photographs, works on paper, and mixed media, the exhibition proposes a space for reflection and dialogue about the cultural intersections that define our era. The artistic diversity present in this curation is, in itself, a visual manifesto against the homogenization of cultures, defending the uniqueness of each expression while acknowledging the construction of an interconnected global fabric.

In today’s world, globalization, often viewed through an economic and uniformizing lens, has challenged nations and cultures to rethink what it means to maintain identity while interacting in an increasingly interdependent global system. Classical philosophy, with the work of Plato, already warned us about the value of harmony within diversity. However, we now live in a moment where this harmony seems like a distant ideal, given the rise of nationalism and the tensions between preserving local identities and the forces of a dominant global culture. Plato’s Republic imagines an ideal society where differences, far from confronting each other, contribute to the common good, an ideal still pursued by contemporary debates on how cultural diversity can coexist in a fair and equitable manner.

In line with the issues raised by globalization, contemporary thinkers like Kwame Anthony Appiah and Martha Nussbaum have insisted on the need for an ethical cosmopolitanism that goes beyond the superficial recognition of cultures, aiming instead for coexistence based on empathy and respect for differences. Appiah, in Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (2006), offers a perspective of cosmopolitanism that, far from dissolving cultures, proposes a space of coexistence where each cultural identity is respected and preserved, but without abandoning common values that transcend borders. Nussbaum, in The Cosmopolitan Tradition (2019), emphasizes the importance of universal human dignity, suggesting that global ethics must be founded on the recognition of the equality of all individuals, regardless of their origin. One World invites visitors to visually experience this philosophy, reflecting on human dignity and the artistic forms that, throughout history, have given voice to social, political, and environmental issues that cross cultural and geographical boundaries.

Postcolonial criticism, represented by thinkers like Homi K. Bhabha, also provides crucial foundations for understanding the implications of contemporary globalization and the transformation of cultural identities on the global stage. In The Location of Culture (1994), Bhabha discusses the formation of new hybrid identities arising from the encounter between dominant and subaltern cultures, highlighting the tension between preserving local cultures and the pressures for global uniformity. In a context of rising xenophobia, forced migration, and nationalist isolation, the works presented in One World reflect on the possibilities of coexistence and resistance, providing a space of welcome for those identities seeking not only to survive but to flourish in a world that often denies their plurality. This cultural encounter is not presented as a mere fusion, but as an exchange that generates new possibilities for creation and reflection.

The exhibition also takes as its starting point the social and political tensions of our time. The growing global inequality, environmental issues, and forced migration flows demand a new way of looking at art and culture. What we see in the works of One World is a reflection of the current crises that challenge artists to reinvent their visual language to deal with a world in which the lines between the local and global are increasingly blurred. Art, with its capacity to transcend words, becomes a form of resistance and denunciation, but also a path to hope and reconciliation. By bringing to the forefront the lived experiences of individuals and communities in contexts of conflict, exclusion, or adaptation, the works on display remind us of our collective responsibility to act in favor of a more just and humane future.

Ultimately, One World is not just an art exhibition; it is a curatorial platform for critical dialogue about the most urgent issues of our time. By invoking both classical and contemporary philosophies, the exhibition challenges us to consider how we, as individuals and collectives, can contribute to a more harmonious, just, and connected world. In a moment when individualism and nationalism seem to dominate, the art presented here becomes a platform to rethink modes of coexistence, urging us to embrace differences and build together a shared future.

Featured Artists

Exhibition Book

Press Release