ALESSANDRA MATTANZA and ANALIA FARFAN BRING ART, DANCE and ANIMAL ADVOCACY to the UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations in New York became the setting for a multidisciplinary celebration of animals, art and advocacy on August 26, 2026, as Animals for Social Justice presented its closing event on World Dog Day.

Organized by journalist, curator and multimedia artist Alessandra Mattanza and supported by artist Diana Ljungaeus and curator and designer Augusto Ferretti, the event brought together speakers, artists, musicians, dancers and members of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security K9 Unit. The exhibition was endorsed by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations.

The afternoon began with a series of talks before moving into the artistic performances.

LeeAnn Rossi, Dan Lauria and Anna Rathman Open the Program

The first speaker was LeeAnn Rossi, cultural producer and curator and Head of Cultural and Public Affairs at the Consul General of Sweden in New York. Rossi joined the program to contribute to the event's cultural and international perspective before the performances began.

She was followed by Dan Lauria, the American actor and former U.S. Marine Corps officer. A longtime admirer of dogs, Lauria shared stories connected to working with dogs on set, bringing a personal perspective to an event centered on the relationship between humans and animals.

The third speaker was Anna Rathman, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA. Rathman spoke about Jane Goodall's love for dogs, connecting the World Dog Day celebration with the broader work and legacy of one of the world's best-known advocates for animals and conservation.

With the talks concluded, the program moved from words into performance, allowing Mattanza's visual art to interact directly with ballet, classical music and song.

Analia Farfan Performs The Dying Swan

The first performance featured first ballerina Analia Farfan, who performed The Dying Swan, accompanied by cellist Sofia Nowik and harpist Caroline Bembia.

Farfan's performance was complemented by Alessandra Mattanza's digital artwork “HOPE,” creating one of the central artistic moments of the afternoon.

The work features Atlas, an Alaskan Malamute Mattanza encountered in Lapland, Finland. Atlas's love of nature and animals, including swans, inspired the artwork. The Whooper swan, Finland's national bird, becomes part of the piece's symbolism alongside Atlas.

The connection to the swan carries an additional environmental dimension. According to the exhibition's presentation, the species came close to extinction in the early 1900s before becoming protected in Finland, allowing its population to recover. In Mattanza's work, both Atlas and the swan therefore become symbols of hope, protection and survival.

The collaboration between Mattanza's digital imagery and Farfan's interpretation of The Dying Swan also continued a creative relationship established earlier in the Animals for Social Justice project. At the exhibition's World Bee Day opening in May, Farfan and the International American Ballet presented dance works inspired by Mattanza's digital art. BroadwayWorld previously covered that opening, where Farfan's choreography helped transform the exhibition into a live multidisciplinary experience.

Gershwin, Dogs and Flowers

The program then continued with George Gershwin's “Someone to Watch Over Me,” performed by soprano Megan Weston and Dr. Michael Fennelly, with Nowik on cello and Bembia on harp.

The musical performance was accompanied by Mattanza's digital artwork “DOGS AND FLOWERS,” bringing together the human voice, live instrumentation and the artist's visual interpretation of the event's canine theme.

The next performance remained within Gershwin's repertoire. Dr. Michael Fennelly performed “Walking the Dog,” again accompanied by Sofia Nowik and Caroline Bembia. This time, the musical piece was paired with Mattanza's digital artwork “Gershwin Dogs Dance.”

Together, the performances created a progression from classical ballet to vocal music and piano, while Mattanza's digital works provided a visual thread connecting the different disciplines.

Alessandra Mattanza's Dogs at the United Nations

Mattanza's artwork remained at the center of the exhibition throughout the closing event.

Her digital art series “DOGS' COMPILATION” includes three videos: “WHEN TWO DOGS,” “DOGS AND NATURE” and “DOGS' MADNESS.” “WHEN TWO DOGS” was inspired by and dedicated to Ranger and Hana, two K9 dogs from the United Nations Department of Safety and Security whose presence became an important part of the World Dog Day celebration.

Mattanza also presented digital works on tapestry dedicated to Ranger and Hana, as well as works featuring other dogs, including “UBER” and “ODIN.” The exhibition's presentation identifies “UBER” as a work dedicated to the dog featured in the upcoming film Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt.

Alongside Mattanza's digital works, the exhibition featured paintings by Diana Ljungaeus, including Charlie Marinelli, Miss Sunny Sunshine, Waking up Sunny, Looking at Me, Sunny and A Girl's Best Friend. The exhibition design was supported by Augusto Ferretti.

A Celebration of the UN K9 Unit

Following the performances, guests were invited to a meet-and-greet with members of the United Nations K9 Unit. Ranger and Hana, whose images are incorporated into Mattanza's work, were specifically highlighted as part of the exhibition's celebration of working dogs.

The audience was also invited to view the artworks in the gallery and Sputnik area one final time before the exhibition closed.

The event therefore brought together several different forms of artistic and cultural expression: international cultural affairs, acting, environmental advocacy, digital art, ballet, opera, classical music and the work of working dogs.

Art as a Language for Animal Advocacy

Animals for Social Justice was created to raise awareness about the protection of animals while addressing broader themes including biodiversity, ecosystem health, sustainability and urban living. The project also incorporates innovation and artificial intelligence as tools for artistic expression and awareness.

At its World Dog Day closing event, those ideas became particularly tangible through the collaboration between Alessandra Mattanza and Analia Farfan.

Mattanza's digital art created the visual world, while Farfan's ballet translated the emotional language of that imagery into movement. Around them, musicians, a soprano,

cultural figures, advocates and members of the UN K9 Unit created a program that moved naturally between conversation and performance.

For Mattanza, the United Nations exhibition offered another opportunity to place animals at the center of a multidisciplinary artistic project. For Farfan, the performance of The Dying Swan created a direct connection between classical ballet, visual art and the theme of hope that runs through Mattanza's work.

As Animals for Social Justice came to its conclusion at the United Nations, the World Dog Day event demonstrated the project's central idea: that art can create a space where culture, creativity and awareness of the natural world meet.