Contemporary art exhibition organized by UNHCR and co-curated by Luca Berta and Francesca Giubilei.

The exhibition intends to allude to the ideal link between one of the greatest and most famous artists of the twentieth century with anonymous individuals who, fleeing from conflicts and persecutions, reach our shores in Lampedusa, a symbolic place that can be described as the geometric fulcrum of the Mediterranean southern between Europe and Africa.
Perhaps among them, and by extension all those who are refugees around the world, could be the Rothko of the 21st century.
Rothko in Lampedusa is not a simple exhibition but a platform of messages, works of art, experiences and personal stories. Its purpose is to challenge visitors to abandon the mainstream view of those fleeing conflict as a threat to our society and our well-being - as a worthless body encumbrance (cf. Zygmunt Bauman, Waste Lives). The project aims to inspire to recognize each refugee as an individual with a history, a character, a complex of relationships, abilities, expectations, a material and immaterial heritage. Just like each of us.
6 refugee artists chosen globally through the UNHCR field operations network, will present their works in dialogue with those of 8 internationally renowned artists: Adel Abdessemed, Majid Adin, Ai Weiwei, Marwa Al Zarwhi, Christian Boltanski, Rasha Deeb, Mohamed Keita, Hassan Yara, Nalini Malani, Abu Bakkar Mansaray, Richard Mosse, Dinh Q Le, Artur Zmijewski, Ali Wakwak.