An exhibition at the Trento Civic Gallery explores the theme of emotional intelligence and empathy

From Feb. 26 to May 4 , 2025, the exhibition Emotional Intelligences. Stories of Empathic Connections, curated by Lisa Maturi, Ginevra Perruggini, Giuseppe Scalia (University of Trento - Officina Espositiva) with Swami Agosta, in collaboration with the Departments of Humanities and Philosophy and Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, Municipality of Trento - Culture, Tourism and Youth Policy Service with the coordination of Gabriele Lorenzoni and Denis Viva.

The exhibition aims to explore emotionality as an essential form of social intelligence, fundamental to human relationships. In an age in which artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central and in which society often appears marked by a sense of detachment and indifference, the ability to understand and share emotions becomes an indispensable tool for building authentic connections. Inspired by the text Emotional Intelligence by psychologist Daniel Goleman, the exhibition invites the public to reflect on the importance ofempathy, understood as the ability to perceive the emotions of others and to establish relationships based on mutual understanding.

The exhibition is divided into three sections devoted to the pillars ofemotional intelligence: awareness of one’s emotions, nonverbal language and the ability to empathize with others. Through an itinerary that weaves together works created from the 1990s to the present, many of them belonging to the Collections of the Mart in Rovereto, the exhibition aims to create unprecedented connections between contemporary art and psychological sciences. The project also includes site-specific interventions by young artists and loans from galleries in the area, further enriching the dialogue between the works.

The result of a collaborative initiative, the exhibition was created thanks to the involvement of students from the University of Trento’s Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage, who, as part of the Officina Espositiva program, worked closely with curators and professionals at the Mart. This experience allowed them to engage with the museum’s collections and apply their research to the creation of a collective and thematic curatorial project.

In addition to the exhibition, Emotional Intelligences offers a program of outdoor events, accompanied by guided tours. The project is promoted by the Mart in collaboration with the University of Trento and the City of Trento, with scientific and curatorial coordination by Denis Viva and Gabriele Lorenzoni.

Image: Rä Di Martino, The Picture of Ourselves (2013; video 04’22’’; Rovereto, Mart, VAF-Stiftung Collection)

An exhibition at the Trento Civic Gallery explores the theme of emotional intelligence and empathy

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