“PARALLEL 42- A circle of the Humanity” exhibition today opened its doors at COD – Center For Openness and Dialogue in Tirana in the presence of the Prime Minister Edi Rama. The exhibition features original artworks by 3200 artists from all over the world as part of the Imago Mundi collection being showcased for first time in Tirana.

“Parallel 42 – A Circle of Humanity” is a is a completely original exhibition regarding the way it has been designed and shaped in the space dedicated to it.

The Benetton Foundation’s Imago Mundi collection is a global art project aimed at bringing together the diversities of our world in the name of shared artistic experience, creating a catalogue of works, inspirations, ideas and the Internet, encouraging a sincere dialogue with art and the world.

In his remarks at the opening of the exhibition, Prime Minister Edi Rama praised the exhibition creators and organizers, and everyone else who helped to bring together works of art from the four corners of the world.

“I would just like to thank all of those who made this exhibition possible, from the guys who curated it with much of perseverance, because, as it was just said, these artworks come from all corners of the world and it has taken a lot of commitment and perseverance to bring them together in this circle, asking thousands of artists to provide their contribution  to that small framework and making possible exactly at a moment in the history of mankind, when humanity was forced to stay and isolate in homes, in cities  and various states that completely cut off communication, this exhibition is animated as an endless string of whispers from all over the globe.

I would certainly like to thank Benetton Foundation, the Foundation’s President and director, who are present here for the Foundation’s existence itself, and for the opportunity that the Foundation provided to materialize this imagination of the whole world’s participation in a circle of works of art. 

I would also like to thank all of you who are here, sharing with us this moment of opening the doors of this exhibition and I would invite others, who are probably watching us now, to visit it, because it is a very special exhibition, quite original in the way it has been designed and in the way it has taken its shape in this space. 

I very much hope you would enjoy it and I am concluding by extending very special thanks to a dear friend, the Ambassador of Japan, who together with his wife joined us tonight at this moment that for COD is an important moment, precisely because it takes place at a time that as for many other spaces it has been an extremely challenging period due to initially total lockdown and the severe restrictions, and now has finally begun to breathe freely. Thank you to everyone!” Prime Minister Rama said in his opening remarks.