Help 122 Conversations travel internationally!

Currently exhibiting in Rania, Iraqi Kurdistan, the artist led project 122 Conversations continues its international journey through the five sister cities of Duluth. The project is a cultural collaboration with American artist Anne Labovitz, Duluth Sister Cities International (DSCI), the University of Minnesota School of Fine Arts and the Tweed Museum of Art. Spanning 5 years and 6 countries, the exhibition celebrates the combined years of relationships between the sister cities, acting as a catalyst for positive social change one individual at a time.

Växjö, Sweden will host the project next, opening March 4 at Växjö Konsthall and continue until April 1, 2017. Labovitz will facilitate workshops with students while in Sweden and celebrate 122 Conversations with citizens from Växjö at an official dinner at Teleborg castle.  122 Conversations will then travel to Petrozavodsk, Russia for its opening on May 25 and remain through June 17, 2017 at Petrozavodsk City Exhibition Hall.

The artwork in the exhibition represents 60 Skype artist lead interviews involving ten residents from each of the six sister cities, including the mayor of each city. The large ­scale paintings were created by Labovitz in her studio and are inspired by the spirited interview exchanges. The work chronicles the essence of human interaction through relational listening into palimpsest paintings and video.  Integral to the project is a participatory component where attendees are invited to add to an anthology of stories through drawings or written words. These contributions travel with the show as it progresses from each city onto its culminating venue at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth in 2018.

Click here to support 122 Conversations now!

You may also support this project by purchasing a necklace currently in process of creation by Anne Labovitz and Security Jewelers of Duluth. On the front of the sterling silver pendant, the number 122 in roman numerals signifies the number of anniversaries Duluth has had cumulate with its sister cities. On the back, the latitude and longitude numbers of each of the cities is presented in a circle to represent the connections formed around the world through this project.

View the process photos below. Information on how to purchase coming soon!