Great and North

“Great and North” is a visual mosaic of a vast and multifaceted territory, an expression of cultural, aesthetic and artistic experiences of rare charm and diversity.

Imago Mundi traces the profile of the contemporary art of a vast area of North American territory, from the extreme north of the ice-covered Nunavut, through the lush and undulating grasslands of the Mid West, to the sublime peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the sometimes jagged, sometimes sandy coasts of the Pacific, taking in lakes, rivers, tundra, forests and cities on its journey.

The diversity of the landscapes on this route that takes in Canada and the United States is reflected in the plurality of the artistic fabric expressed in these collections: the Inuit of northern Canada are flanked by Native artists from the United States and artists of the great Canadian cities. Painters, sculptors, engravers, designers, architects, photographers, writers, musicians; all are present. For their works they chose oils, acrylics, pastels, but also seal skin, soap stone, alabaster, even nails and rose petals.

What brings them together is the recognition of a shared geographical unity in which multifaceted and stratified cultural experiences unfold: the result of an encounter that has endured for centuries between indigenous and imported cultures. The result is a colourful fresco depicting this part of the world, in which, in addition to enchantment at the range of themes, materials and techniques, there is also space for reflection.

“Great and North” is, therefore, an expression of the grandeur of the American north; it invites the visitor to learn more about the many facets of these lands, beyond the impressions embedded in our imaginations, instead receptive to a sincere, genuine and spontaneous encounter with 759 artists who, without filters or mediations, reveal the essence of their soul on the 10x12cm canvas.