MediterArtFestival2025 transformed Italy into a stage for art, dialogue, and fraternity. A wave of culture and beauty swept through the Mediterranean, demonstrating that art can act as a bridge for peace in turbulent times.

Between 20 June and 26 July, an event that transformed the Mediterranean into a landscape of cultural, artistic, and human encounter took place in Italy: MediterArtFestival2025 – Harmony for a Wave of Peace.

Established by the AIR Association, together with Artisti in Rete APS, the festival was much more than just a series of shows; it was conceived as a way of building bridges between cultures, an embrace between the populations living on the various shores of the Mediterranean, and an invitation to choose fraternity as a common goal.

The journey began on 20 June in Montecatini Terme, and primarily took place in Naples, where, from 21 to 26 July, over three hundred artists held concerts, performances, exhibitions, and opportunities for discussion. Every town and every venue contributed to a collective mosaic that told a story of diversity, beauty, and the desire for a shared future.

Beauty as a Principle and a Path

The festival was part of a journey begun by the @ir network in 2023 with the signing of the Carta Magna della Bellezza (the Magna Carta of Beauty), an ethical manifesto conceived at Loppiano. The manifesto stated: ‘Our art is born from the spark of beauty found in every human being. The method is sharing. The approach is community. The mission is to serve life.’

Since it was established, initiatives like Family Art Day – which united over 500 artists from eight different regions across Italy last year – have led to the creation of a vibrant network that views art as a service, a relationship, and a bridge between cultures and generations.

In this spirit, MediterArtFestival2025 reaffirms a fundamental principle: art does not take sides, it does not bind itself to flags; rather, it opens doors to interfaith, intercultural, and human dialogue. ‘Every invitation, every event, every artistic choice is carried out with the firm intention of building bridges, not walls,’ the organisers asserted.

A Week of Art in Naples

The festival featured music, theatre, dance, poetry, painting, photography, and workshops. At Maschio Angioino (also known as Castel Nuovo) and Rotonda Diaz, visitors could visit the Drops of @ir – III Edition exhibition, and take part in encounters that alternated between artistic expression and cultural, interfaith, and intercultural reflection.

Although artists from both the East and the West (Beirut, Palestine, Bosnia, and other countries) were expected to attend, their absence – due to work and travel issues – did not weaken the message. Many people took part remotely, demonstrating that collaborative creation can overcome borders.

The final programme included conferences, artistic projections for peace, and events for young people, who discussed the role of art as an instrument for inclusion and reconciliation. Among the most impactful moments of the festival was the symbolic procession for peace along the Neapolitan seafront – followed by the final night – which bestowed a bright and welcoming atmosphere on the closing of the festival.

MediterArtFestival2025 established itself as a space where art is not about seeking the limelight but making connections. Art that educates, heals, and transforms. Art that can speak a universal language: that of authentic connection. As Tiziana Capasso, who inspired this journey, expressed: ‘Art is a relationship, and a healthy relationship is the true beginning to every healthy revolution.’

With this year’s edition, the festival has made a promise: to continue to use beauty and culture to build a future of solidarity and peace that transcends borders.

Article translated into English by Becca Webley