Art Cut: Exercises in Empathy: Accompaniment
Boston College is among seven premier Catholic universities in major cities worldwide selected to host an exhibition on the theme of “Exercises in Empathy.” The exhibitions are part of a global contemporary art series launched by the Catholic Universities Art Triennial (“Art Cut”), commissioned by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See.
Boston College, the project’s exclusive North American venue, and one of three Jesuit Universities chosen to take part, will present “Art Cut: Exercises in Empathy: Accompaniment,” which opens on campus September 23 and runs through November 15 in the University’s Burns Library Board of Trustees Room. It is co-curated by BC Associate Professor of Studio Art Sheila Gallagher, an interdisciplinary artist and curator whose work explores belief, grief, and our relationships with objects and memory.
The triennial brings together universities from around the world dedicated to exploring how art plays a role in addressing today’s most relevant issues. Its inaugural edition, “Art Cut: Exercises in Empathy,” begins on August 27 in Rio de Janeiro and expands globally. The curatorial program features emerging and established artists, challenging them to reflect on contemporary issues. Empathy is approached as a human capacity to be exercised, cultivated, and shared through artistic experience.
Vatican Press Release
The Catholic Universities Art Triennial is an international initiative promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See, bringing together Catholic universities, artists, curators and cultural institutions
Statement from Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça
When Pope Leo XIV signed, on 15 May 2026, his first Encyclical Letter — significantly on the 135th anniversary of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum — his intention was not merely to produce a programmatic document.
Statement from Chief Curator Nuno Crespo
An exhibition, 104 artists, 14 curators, 8 cities, 3 continents, that sets in motion ideas of art, empathy, education, knowledge, the university and, of course, the future.