Vatican conference on building a network of "cities of refuge"

By Beatrice Guarrera

From the pride of a leader of an indigenous community of the Brazilian Amazon to the beauty of the Australian sky, which seems to touch the sea, to the land wounded by drought in Bangladesh, due to climate change: these are some of the 24 shots that make up the photo exhibition "Changes," inaugurated on Tuesday, May 7, in St. Peter's Square and curated by Lia and Marianna Beltrami, with the Dicastery for Communication and in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center.

Speaking to Vatican Media, Lia Beltrami explained that "the exhibition is part of the project 'Emotions to generate change,' in collaboration with Formidable Partners, which arises from the desire to put art at the service of change, as Pope Francis asks us to do in his encyclicals Laudato si', Fratelli Tutti, and in Laudate Deum. It’s a “change” that has been interpreted by photographers who come from all corners of the world, and are perhaps people who themselves have faced a flight, a difficulty." They are Neşe Arı, Raffaele Merler, Giampaolo Calzà, Franco Giovanazzi, Vassilis Ikoutas, Asaf Ud Daula, Sebastiano Rossitto, Ferran Paredes Rubio, and Francesca Larrain, who were present at the opening of the exhibition in St. Peter's Square.

"The exhibition speaks to us if we can put it that way, of today, of an integral view in a disintegrated time. For this reason, it involves and challenges communication, which is often so polluted today," said Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, at the conference held in the afternoon at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican, home of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. "The photos," the prefect explained, "look into us, they open the eyes of our heart to ourselves, transforming us by revealing the secret of seeing beyond appearances. Theirs’ is a silent scream that tears apathy apart. It reveals beauty and leads to its rebirth. It captures suffering, and makes it shout out, it unmasks lies by revealing them for what they are: lies in disguise." Hence the idea "that we can try to weave the future, building relationships between people who in different ways interweave beauty with truth and justice," said Ruffini.

Indeed, creative talent capable of generating change was at the centre of the conference, which saw the participation of the curators and photographers of "Changes," as well as artists, journalists, film directors, and personalities from the academic world, with different personal and professional backgrounds who share "the same desire to change for the better," the prefect emphasized: "We all know that there is no recipe, no algorithm, no formula for our work, but only an unending quest. A journey animated by the will and capacity to be amazed and by the desire to amaze. To stay restless and full of passion, and to cultivate restlessness as a path to truth” as well as “beauty that demands to be shared."

And it was on this aspect of passion and beauty, combined with the theme of emotions to generate change, that the conference participants were called to dialogue, because "it is the relationships between people that move things.” “So – Ruffini continued – this is why we are here today. To establish or strengthen relationships between those who create beauty, those who work to communicate beauty and truth, and those who intend economy as care for our common home."

"Art," he continued, "as Pope Francis said last week in Venice, has the status of a 'city of refuge,' a city that disobeys the regime of violence and discrimination to create forms of human belonging capable of recognizing, including, protecting, embracing everyone. Everyone, starting from the least. It would be important," the prefect urged, "if various artistic practices could establish themselves everywhere as a sort of network of 'cities of refuge,' collaborating to free the world from senseless and empty antinomies, but which seek to take over in racism, xenophobia, inequality, ecological imbalance, and aporophobia, this terrible neologism that means 'fear of the poor.' In this sense, we are already a network."

Based on these reflections, the guests then began to offer their own perspectives. Like that of young Giacomo Mattivi on the association born from his family, "which has faced the difficulty of life, namely my rare genetic disease, and instead of closing in on itself, has opened up and found the strength with which to 'drag' everyone to dedicate themselves to the education of children." Giacomo spoke of the power of art, which he encounters in books, films, and cultural programs that allow him to visit many worlds, even though he has to spend a lot of time at home due to his disease that confines him to a wheelchair.

Many themes were touched upon by other guests: from the need not to become slaves to artificial intelligence, which can still improve people's lives, according to television presenter Licia Colò, to the need to adopt a respectful approach when telling the stories of pain of Ukrainian refugees, as emphasized by documentary filmmaker Alice Tommassini; from the role of the storyteller who, in a sense, does "God's work," in the words of Ali Aksu, producer and CEO of Untold Stories, to the importance of keeping the spotlight on youth reality and those who care for the planet, as the Italian public TV program "Geo" strives to do every day, according to its host Sveva Sagramola. Finally, the heartfelt appeal of psychologist Daniele Marchesi to communicators and artists: "You have the ability to create excitement, to change the world's view. Let yourselves be moved, recognize what you are feeling and convey it, and you will change everything."