ANIMALS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Opens at the United Nations With Art, Dance, and Environmental Advocacy

On May 20, World Bee Day, the United Nations became the setting for an ambitious interdisciplinary event that merged visual art, dance, environmental awareness, and international collaboration. The opening of Animals for Social Justice, a multimedia exhibition created by journalist and multimedia artist Alessandra Mattanza, transformed the Visitors’ Lobby, Art Gallery, and Sputnik Area into a space where artistic expression and social engagement intersected.

Running through August 25, 2026, the exhibition explores the relationship between humanity, animals, biodiversity, and environmental responsibility through digital art, photography, painting, and live performance. While the exhibition presents works by an international roster of artists, its opening-day programming elevated the experience beyond a traditional gallery presentation.

At the center of the event was Bee Dance, a collaboration between Matanza’s digital artwork and a live dance performance choreographed by Analia Farfan and presented by the International American Ballet. Set against large-scale bee imagery created by Mattanza, the performance translated the exhibition’s environmental themes into movement, offering a physical and emotional counterpart to the visual work surrounding it.

Rather than functioning as a separate artistic element, the choreography became an extension of the exhibition itself. The dancers moved through the gallery environment as living components of the installation, creating a dialogue between visual composition and human expression. The evening featured the world premieres of Eternal Hive and Fearless Heroes, two original works performed by the International American Ballet and choreographed by artistic director Analia Farfan, with original music by Angry BeeZ. These performances emerged organically within the gallery setting, becoming one of the opening’s most memorable moments and illustrating how contemporary dance can deepen and expand the experience of visual art.

The choice to launch the exhibition on World Bee Day added further significance to the performance. Bees have become an international symbol of biodiversity and ecological balance, themes that resonate throughout Mattanza’s broader project. By incorporating dance into the exhibition’s opening, the event transformed these concepts from static imagery into a shared live experience.

The afternoon also featured a live painting performance by Kan Yeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, the Nigerian abstract artist and neurodiversity advocate who holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest individual artwork on canvas. His live painting introduced another layer of immediacy and creative process to the gathering, allowing visitors to witness art being created in real time. The performance reinforced the exhibition’s emphasis on participation, accessibility, and artistic dialogue while highlighting the work of an internationally recognized artist whose career has drawn attention for both artistic achievement and advocacy.

What distinguishes Animals for Social Justice is its willingness to operate across disciplines. The exhibition presents art not simply as an object to be viewed, but as a catalyst for conversation. Digital installations, photography, painting, performance, and public engagement coexist within the same framework, reflecting the project’s broader mission of raising awareness around environmental stewardship and the protection of animals worldwide.

Staged within one of the world’s most symbolically significant institutions, the opening demonstrated how artistic practice can contribute to global conversations while remaining accessible to the public. By combining visual art, performance, and advocacy, Animals for Social Justice offers a compelling example of how contemporary artists are increasingly working beyond traditional boundaries to engage audiences in meaningful ways.

Animals for Social Justice remains on view at the United Nations Headquarters in New York through August 25, 2026.

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