Convitati – Art for Human Rights

A table set for those who cannot sit

"Convitati – Art for Human Rights" is one of the most original cultural offerings of the Roman autumn. The concept behind it is simple yet powerful: to imagine a large virtual table around which sit, as guests, those who have been imprisoned, persecuted, or killed for expressing an opinion. Instead of food, the table is set with compassion, listening, and the sharing of grief. Each displayed face is a testimony added to a constantly updated catalog, which is also available online.

The exhibition is held in Rome, the capital of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and the Lazio Region, in the Prati district: the venue is the Waldensian Temple of Piazza Cavour, one of the city's most unique religious buildings, built in the early 20th century in a Neo-Romanesque style just a short walk from Castel Sant'Angelo and the Palace of Justice.

Graphic arts in the service of rights

The project was born in 2024 on the initiative of the Waldensian community of Piazza Cavour and has since been structured around the I Convitati Association, which currently manages its organization. The exhibition brings together portraits created with various techniques—drawing, engraving, painting, graphic design, collage—by artists who participate voluntarily in response to a public call. Next to each work is a biographical note that recounts the story of the person depicted: activists, journalists, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders from every continent, many of whom are the focus of Amnesty International campaigns.

The exhibition is not designed as a traditional art gallery. The layout is modular and itinerant: the same works have already been hosted in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto—the famous "artists' church" in Piazza del Popolo—and in several Roman university residences, adapting each time to the space that welcomes them.

What to see at the exhibition

• Portraits and biographical notes of people imprisoned for their opinions, also organized by country of origin;
• an annual reportage notebook, available for free download, documenting the cases presented;
• memory materials and an immersive path introduced in the 2026 edition;
• a public conference featuring in-depth discussions with jurists and representatives of human rights organizations.

Patronage and network

The exhibition enjoys the patronage of Amnesty International and the IDHAE (Institut des Droits de l'Homme des Avocats Européens), the institute that brings together European lawyers committed to the defense of fundamental rights. The association defines itself as a "pilot project" and offers its experience for free to anyone wishing to start similar initiatives in other Italian cities: a rare trait that explains the project's rapid growth in just three editions.

Why it is worth a visit

Those looking for something different from the major museum circuits in Rome will find a brief but dense experience here: half an hour is enough to walk through the entire exhibition, but it is hard to leave indifferent. Admission is free, and the location—a stone's throw from the Lepanto metro station and the Lungotevere—makes the exhibition easy to combine with a walk through Prati, Castel Sant'Angelo, and the Vatican. It is an event also suitable for high schools and groups, given the educational value of the biographical cards accompanying the works.