Luanda is set to host the Trienal de Artes das Universidades Católicas "ART CUT´2026", an international initiative by the Dicastério para a Cultura e a Educação da Santa Sé. The event, scheduled to run until December 20, aims to promote empathy through art. It is being organized in collaboration with the Universidade Católica de Angola (UCAN) and will bring together universities, artists, and curators from around the world under the theme "Exercices in Empaty".
The event's theme, "Exercices in Empaty", seeks to promote reflection on the capacity of art to bring people, cultures, and different forms of understanding together. The concept of "ubuntu", a term from African philosophy that emphasizes mutual respect, will be central to the discussions. The trienal invites reflection on the role of empathy in building more open and cooperative societies.
According to the organization, the "ART CUT´26" initiative establishes a relationship between artistic creation, ethics, and coexistence. It promotes encounters between different cultural perspectives and human experiences. The event is seen as an opportunity to make art a space for learning empathy and dialogue between different areas of knowledge.
Cardeal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefeito do Dicastério para a Cultura e a Educação da Santa Sé, emphasized the importance of recognition and mutual understanding. He associated the trienal with the possibility of making art a space for learning empathy and dialogue between different areas of knowledge.
For Maria da Assunção, reitora da UCAN, the "ART CUT´26" event opens the institution's doors to artists and invites the academic community and society to reflect on the emancipatory role of art in times of growing dehumanization. The event's programming will feature exhibitions in three spaces in Luanda: UCAN, Hotel Globo, and FAS Project Space.
The exhibition spaces will host various artistic works, including a video piece by Serra Leonean artist Julianknxx. The event's organizers hope that it will inspire a reflection on the role of art in promoting empathy and understanding.
The "ART CUT´26" trienal is seen as a unique opportunity for artists, academics, and the public to come together and explore the potential of art to promote positive change. The event's emphasis on empathy and mutual understanding is particularly relevant in today's world.
Key points
- The trienal aims to promote reflection on the capacity of art to bring people, cultures, and different forms of understanding together.
- The event will feature exhibitions in three spaces in Luanda: UCAN, Hotel Globo, and FAS Project Space.
- The trienal invites reflection on the role of empathy in building more open and cooperative societies.
