Catholic universities offer art as a way of addressing today’s problems

Over the next several months, countries around the world will host artwork in the forms of exhibitions, commissions, publications, and public programs. This international initiative, titled the Catholic Universities Art Triennial, is promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See an brings together artists, Catohlic universities, curators, and cultural institutions.

It began as a project dedicated to artistic creation, academic research and dialogue, as the Dicastery’s press release states. The Triennial is dedicated to exploring how art plays a role in addressing the most relevant issues in the world today.

The Triennial will be held throughout 2026-2027 and conclude in Venice.

The inaugural edition, entitled “Exercises in Empathy”, is set to be held in various cities around the world: Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Bogotá, Boston, Milan, Lisbon and Luanda. Bringing together various universities and partners, it will reflect on the role of higher education, human relationships, and the concept of empathy.

Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas points out that artificial intelligences “may … simulate empathy and understanding, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom” (MH, no. 99).

The Triennial is focused on providing opportunities to dive deeper into the public debate regarding safeguarding what is fundamentally human.