Art that spans the seas

"We have a common vision. Maybe we are dreamers. We both love art and envision a world full of art and full of colors," Chinnici says."Our plan was to create one platform for all the artists that come from all over the world, and to talk one universal language, that is, art."

Learning about the shortage of masks in Italy at the time, Wang offered to help. She made contact with companies and governmental entities in Huangshan and Yuyao from Zhejiang province, arranging the donation of more than 50,000 masks to Meri.

As a gesture of gratitude, Chinnici's father Lorenzo Chinnici, a well-known painter from Meri, gave four of his artworks to China via the Meri government. Led by Lorenzo Chinnici, and with the support of Wang, Francesco Chinnici and the Meri government, the project was soon launched, calling for artists from around the world to submit artworks that best represent themselves and their own countries.

Among the first batch of selected works, four were created by Chinese artists: Zhang Jigang from Beijing, Zheng Xiaotong from Shanghai, Lu Mei from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Du Shusheng from Huangshan. Their works ranged from traditional Chinese paintings to calligraphy.

By June 2021, these artworks, printed on terracotta tiles, had been installed in Meri's central square and along the city streets. Accompanying the images are the names and brief introductions of the artists.