This exhibition was about presence. It looked at traditions and values
that Italian Canadians brought with them to Canada, and that are now
part of the everyday lives of many Canadians.
It was also about relevance. It invited us to take a new look at
these traditions and values, which originated in the past, and discover
how relevant they are to many of the questions we are asking today.
The exhibition also encouraged an encounter. Through the themes of
food, work, social life and spirituality, it invited us to see
something of ourselves in the aspirations of Italian-Canadian
immigrants.
Presence, relevance, encounter ... if all of this is possible, it is
because human cultures pay little heed to the boundaries of time and
territory. They may originate in a particular time and place, but they
are learned and communicated by people, who are themselves constantly
moving and meeting others.
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