In Praise of Diversity Journey through Italian Ecosystems

How do we measure the health of life on Earth? Although different from one another, all ecosystems are linked by a dense network of interrelationships, governed by very fragile mechanisms and balances. Each form of life has a unique role and contributes to the stability and resilience of ecosystems: to ensure environmental sustainability and the future of our planet, it is therefore essential to preserve biodiversity, which human action and climate change risk compromising.

Interweaving art and science, explanations and emotions, the exhibition project hosted at Palazzo delle Esposizioni – promoted by the Department of Culture of Roma Capitale with the Azienda Speciale Palaexpo and curated by Sapienza University of Rome with the University of Padua and the National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC) – takes the public on a physical and imaginative journey to discover the beauty and the natural, urban and genetic richness of the Italian peninsula. It is an immersive, educational and stimulating experience that leads us to observe the world with new eyes, immersing ourselves in the veins of a leaf or flying along with an insect, and that alternates original exhibits, videos, iconographic apparatuses and reconstructions with the ultimate aim of making us aware of the urgency of preserving the balance of nature.

Biologists, naturalists, geneticists, anthropologists, ecologists, urban planners, architects and artists have offered their valuable contribution and expertise to comprehensively recount such a complex and multifaceted topic. The focus is on the value of biodiversity (in absolute terms and in relation to human psychophysical well-being), the main anthropic factors that threaten its conservation and the actions to be implemented to favor paradigms of prevention, and the concept of One Health, a holistic vision based on the recognition of the profound interconnections between human health, animal health and the health of the ecosystem.

The scholarly advisory board comprises leading personalities and scientists from a range of Italian and international universities and research centres, including Nobel Prize Giorgio Parisi, Enrico Alleva, Carlo Blasi, Stefano Boeri, Ferdinando Boero, Maria Chiara Carrozza, Luigi Fiorentino, Enrico Giovannini, Vittorio Lingiardi, Antonella Polimeni and Ling San.