The non-profit and global contemporary art project Imago Mundi promoted by Luciano Benetton is the subject of a documentary, Behind the Frames, that has been presented at the National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM) in Rome. The film, directed by Stefano Ribaldi, reveals the 'spirit' of the enterprise that intends to build up a picture of global cultures and civilisations by bringing together works all measuring 10x12 cm by over 25,000 emerging and established artists from more than 150 countries, regions and native populations through the testimonies of some of the artists who have participated in the project, interspersed with the recollections of the Treviso entrepreneur Benetton himself. It is divided into eight chapters on various themes, including war, happiness, history and nature, and begins in the city of Treviso before moving to other cities touched by History such as Sarajevo and Berlin, counctries such as Syria that are still at war and the territories of the Australian Aboriginal people and New Zealand Māori. The aim of the documentary is to outline the value system embodied by Imago Mundi, rooted in dialogue, exchange, solidarity and respect for different cultures, and in the study of art and beauty themselves. The star of 'Behind the Frames' is Benetton himself. The founder of the clothing empire tells of his life and passions: for travel as a form of knowledge, for art as a way of understanding the complexity of contemporary society and the desire to work with and for the young generations. "With Imago mundi I discovered a different world to the one I knew through my work, full of cultures, and that goes beyond the realm of geography and economics," Benetton said. "I had limitations, now thanks to the project I see things differently and I like the world better because it is simpler," he added.
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