Under-Secretary Mario Giro, with the remit for Latin America and cultural promotion, opened the pavilion of the Istituto Italia America Latina in the Arsenal building.
Many Latin American countries have had pavilions over the years thanks to the IILA’s contribution. The IILA pavilion continues to welcome all the region’s artists in an effort to present an overview of trends in Latin American art, becoming a point of encounter for the best in that region’s artistic production with that of Europe.
“This pavilion makes it possible for countries without an exposition space to offer visibility to their talent and maintain a unified vision of the region”, the Under-Secretary specified.
The title of this year’s IILA pavilion, “El Atlas del Imperio”, is based on the Jorge Luis Borges allegory and the writings of Carlos Fuentes and Italo Calvino, fundamental figures in the culture and advocates of closer ties with Italy and Europe.
“It is crucial to be here in Venice in order to intensify Italy’s focus on a region with which we have strong cultural bonds with social and business models that can work. We share a human vision of development that leads us to confront the challenges of globalization in a similar manner. There are already many cultural initiatives that the Institute promotes in Latin America, from our universities to the Dante Alighieri Committees. Also in view of preparations for the Italy-Latin America conference at year’s end, it is important to work on joint cultural events that strengthen Italy’s image throughout that geographical area”, Under-Secretary Giro concluded.
