Native North Americans in Venice - The Luciano Benetton Collection: Imago Mundi "Great & North"

Luciano Benetton at Imago Mundi Great and North - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) Luciano Benetton is one of the creators of the global fashion brand United Colors of Benetton. At 82-years-old, he has the energy of someone decades younger. He is passionate about how art can bring together different cultures, and is putting some of his billions to good use. His Imago Mundi project envisions a world and art without borders. By the end of 2017, there will be more than 26,000 artists who will have participated in the project.

The concept is simple: artists create a work of art using a small 10x12 cm format, like a business card. Established names and emerging artists are shown side by side, all on a voluntary, non-profit basis. There are artists from every continent from 140 countries and Native communities, and more than a hundred collections, with 140 to 210 artists in each collection. Each collection is gathered into a book published by Fabrica.

Introspection by Joseph Sagai (2014) Native American Collection

The exhibition that is currently here in Venice at Palazzo Loredan in Campo Santo Stefano is Great and North, featuring the contempory art of Native North Americans. From the Inuit of Northern Canada to the Native artists from the United States, a cornucopia of works by artists of different disciplines are on display: painters, sculptors, engravers, designers, architects, photographers, writers and musicians.

There are four different collections in the Great and North exhibition, which is described as being "dedicated to the North of the American continent: 759 artists give shape to the contemporary creativity of Central-Eastern Canada, Western Canada, the Inuit and North American Indigenous Artists." 

You can also view the images on Google Arts & Culture, where you can enlarge them to suit your sight. Click to go to the Native Art Visual Visions - Contemporary North American Indigenous Artists Collection.

Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger - Photo: Cat Bauer

Also here was Cannupa Hanska Luger, who grew up in Standing Rock, North Dakota. Engaging, humble and well-spoken, with elite Native American credentials (as well as being easy on the eyes:-), the multi-disciplinary artist is known for his ceramics, sculpture, video and installations. He is also a charismatic leader when it comes to Native American issues, saying "The United States wants to keep us to a historical past. We have the ability to navigate dissident worlds. Adaption is our greatest strength. This was never 'our land.' We are its people."

I had the opportunity to chat with Cannupa. I said, "When I was little, I used to pretend I was an Indian." He said, "When I was little, I used to pretend I was white." And, yes, he was at Standing Rock. The Los Angeles Times did a Q&A with him back in January entitled, The artist who made protesters' mirrored shields says the 'struggle porn' media miss point of Standing Rock

Imago Mundi Great and North will be at Palazzo Loredan - Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti through October 29th. Go to Imago Mundi for more information.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog