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The Vatican-backed Catholic Universities Art Triennale, known as ArtCut, is presenting exhibitions in seven cities with more than 100 artists, including Arthur Jafa, Jeremy Frey and Mona Hatoum. Its inaugural theme, “Exercises in Empathy,” puts human experience and creativity at the center of a discussion shaped by Pope Leo XIV’s criticism of AI’s capacity to create art.
The Vatican-backed Catholic Universities Art Triennale, or ArtCut, is presenting exhibitions in seven cities across seven countries, bringing together more than 100 artists under the theme “Exercises in Empathy.” The concurrent shows place human experience and creativity at the center of a conversation about art and artificial intelligence, drawing on Pope Leo XIV’s argument that AI lacks qualities needed for human artistic understanding.
Commissioned by Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, the exhibitions are hosted at Catholic universities in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Angola and the United States. The inaugural triennial includes artists such as Arthur Jafa, Jeremy Frey and Mona Hatoum. The source report describes the program as more than 100 artists across the seven exhibitions.
ArtCut’s umbrella theme, “Exercises in Empathy,” sets out empathy and self-reflection as drivers of human progress, rather than technological advancement alone. Each exhibition explores aspects of humanity, including physical and intellectual experience. The source material does not provide a full list of participating institutions, exhibition titles or dates for each location.
The series is presented as a response to the Pope’s view of AI-generated work. In the account cited by Hyperallergic, Leo XIV said AI systems do not understand what they produce because they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which people develop wisdom. That is the framework ArtCut adopts; it is not evidence that every artist or exhibition takes the same position on AI.
A Human Focus in AI Debate
The series makes the debate over AI and creative work a subject of a major, multi-country exhibition program, rather than treating it only as a question of new tools. Its organizing premise asks what human feeling, relationships and spiritual life contribute to art—qualities the Pope says AI systems lack. That framing gives the exhibitions a clear position while leaving room for the artworks themselves to address humanity in different ways.
The program also brings a shared theme to seven Catholic university settings in different countries. For audiences, that creates an opportunity to encounter contemporary art alongside an institutional argument about how creativity should be understood. The source report does not establish how visitors will respond or whether the exhibitions include works made with AI.
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The Pope’s Argument on AI
ArtCut’s inaugural edition builds on Pope Leo XIV’s earlier message about protecting human life and dignity from AI’s potential for manipulation and delusions of omnipotence, as described in the source report. The triennial carries that concern into contemporary art, using exhibitions to explore the human qualities that its organizers consider important to creativity.
The reported quotation from the Pope distinguishes between producing an output and understanding it. He argues that AI does not possess the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which people grow in wisdom. ArtCut’s theme turns that claim into an exhibition premise, with empathy and self-reflection placed ahead of technological progress as measures of human development.
Details Still Missing
The source report does not specify the opening and closing dates for each exhibition, provide a complete roster of artists, or identify all seven host universities. It also does not say whether any of the shows include AI-generated or AI-assisted works, or whether the exhibitions directly present opposing views about the technology.
The Pope’s comments are presented as the intellectual basis for the series, but the available information does not establish that every participating artist shares his assessment. The report also offers no attendance figures, public response or evaluation of the exhibitions’ effects.
Seven Exhibitions Continue
The seven exhibitions are taking place concurrently as ArtCut’s inaugural triennial edition. The source material does not give a closing date or announce a specific next program, so the immediate development is the presentation of the shows across the participating countries.
Further details about individual venues, exhibition schedules and participating artists would clarify how the shared theme is being interpreted in each city. For now, the confirmed focus is the program’s seven-country reach, its roster of more than 100 artists and its emphasis on empathy and human experience amid discussion of AI.
Key Questions
What is the Catholic Universities Art Triennale?
ArtCut is a Vatican-backed contemporary art exhibition program commissioned by Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Its inaugural edition presents exhibitions at Catholic universities in seven countries.
What is the theme of the inaugural edition?
The umbrella theme is “Exercises in Empathy.” The program foregrounds empathy, self-reflection and human experience in its approach to creativity and progress.
Which artists are included?
The source report names Arthur Jafa, Jeremy Frey and Mona Hatoum among more than 100 artists. It does not provide a complete list of participants.
Where are the exhibitions being held?
The concurrent exhibitions are hosted at Catholic universities in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Angola and the United States. The available source does not name every host institution.
Does the exhibition series include AI-generated art?
The source report does not say whether AI-generated or AI-assisted works appear in the exhibitions. It describes the series as centering human creativity and cites Pope Leo XIV’s criticism of AI’s ability to understand what it produces.
Source: hyperallergic.com
