Meadows personal structures – Art, Space, Time, Existence – Paris 13 – 16 decembre 2018

The Italy chapter of MEADOWS (Mediterranean Endeavors Advancing Development Of Widespread Sustainability) is fairly young in terms of the years that it has been active. Nevertheless, it takes pride in having managed, within this relatively short span, to organize a series of artistic endeavors that have had a ripple effect as a direct outcome of the results and goals achieved, which has encouraged us to raise the bar every step of the way. “MEADOWS Personal Structures”, organized by our Italy chapter, presented the works of 44 artists from 32 countries at Palazzo Mora in Venice, in parallel with the Venice Biennale of 2017. The great success of this exhibition, and the exposure gained from an international public viewing the creations of a plethora of international artists, led us to embark on a tour for this exhibit in several Italian cities during 2018, namely at Villa Giulia in Verbania and Casa Bossi in Novara. The collective exhibition of the prestigious Salon Des Beaux Arts 2018, at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, organized by the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts (SNBA), was an opportunity not to be missed. Thus, with the unconditional support of the MEADOWS headquarters presided over by Lady Lena Kelekian (who deserves special thanks because without her, none of this could have happened), we joined forces with fellow MEADOWS chapters. Each in its own way, through networking and assistance, contributed to the realization of this special exhibition, which envisions the participation of 48 artists from 37 countries. This project proves once again that collaborative efforts can go a long way towards achieving our goals of sustainable development. I would like to take this opportunity to express my great gratitude to the artist Sibilla Bjarnason MD, President of MEADOWS Iceland, for initiating this event and to the Executive Director Ms. Isabelle Lawson of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts for her kind assistance. My special thanks go to the architect and artist Hagop Sulahian for his constant support and meticulous and committed networking. I would like to single out artists Tonino Maurizi and Vittorio Tonon for their untiring work and similarly all those who assisted directly or indirectly in making this exhibition a reality, wholeheartedly contributing their valuable time to help raise the bar once more. Lastly, my warmest and most heartfelt thanks go to all our artist friends for their enthusiasm and passionate interest in this idea, allowing us to display this unique, great “meaningful work” in this splendid city. At a glance, these artists offer a worldview of contemporary visual art and show how art can be a powerful tool for intercultural dialogue.
Francesca Maurizi, MEADOWS Europe, Regional President