In Latin, the con-finis indicated the neighbour, the neighbour, the contiguous, who even managed to become the affine, the similar, the connected. Leaving to think how many vital and enriching exchanges could be there stretching their gaze, being curious and exploring.

How much more distant from the contemporary concept, that of ‘confining’, ‘relegating’, strengthening the idea that there is an ‘us’ to protect and an ‘them’ to fear, to keep outside. According to a 2020 study by Elisabeth Vallet, professor of Geography at the University of Quebec in Montreal, there are currently seventy walls in the world. Out of 195 nations in the world, almost a third, in the last 50 years, have built a barrier to separate themselves from something or someone.

Instead, precisely because the “with-” before the “end” determines a union, this word should indicate nothing more than a point of contact, the place where two edges meet, knowing each other, re-knowing each other. Yet that line of encounter has been made from time to time furrow, trench, wall, barrier.
As history teaches us, however, the boundaries, cultural, political and physical, are constantly moving, often against their will, or rather, despite those who strive to keep them fixed, rigid, written on stone.

Fortunately, instead, we influence, live and walk together. We are part of the same humanity, so does it really make sense to keep tracing and pointing out the differences?

This is the question we want to answer through the new edition of our illustration contest.