Italy, Mongolia Pledge to Preserve Pistoletto Work
A joint declaration commits both countries to safeguarding the Third Paradise installation in Ulaanbaatar, a permanent artwork unveiled at COP17-UNCCD.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Fine Art
Italy and Mongolia adopted a joint declaration on the preservation and promotion of 'Third Paradise - A Narrow Path to Preventive Peace,' a permanent installation in Ulaanbaatar by Michelangelo Pistoletto with Mongolian artist Battogtokh Turbat. The declaration was adopted on November 5, 2026.
Why it matters
The declaration consolidates a project launched as part of efforts to strengthen the Italian-Mongolian strategic partnership. It is intended to secure the work's long-term future as a meeting place and symbol of friendship between the two countries.
The declaration is a bilateral government document, but no measurable figures were reported. Its specific obligations, funding commitments, and duration remain unspecified in the available material.
The players
Michelangelo Pistoletto
Italian contemporary artist known for the Third Paradise symbol and the Arte Povera movement, who created the permanent Ulaanbaatar installation.
Battogtokh Turbat
Mongolian artist who co-created the installation by contributing the 'Narrow Path' element that frames the Third Paradise symbol.
The details
The installation combines Pistoletto's reinterpretation of the infinity symbol, the Third Paradise, with Turbat's 'Narrow Path.' The symbol takes shape through the planting of Mongolian juniper, a native species that helps combat desertification, and is designed to evolve over time as a landscape intervention.
Timeline
August 2026: The installation was unveiled during COP17-UNCCD.
November 5, 2026: Italy and Mongolia adopted the joint preservation declaration.
Big Picture
The installation was unveiled during the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, tying a permanent artwork to international efforts against land degradation. Its use of native Mongolian juniper places the piece within that convention's ecological agenda.
Visitors to Ulaanbaatar can view the permanent installation, which is now covered by a joint preservation declaration between Italy and Mongolia. The declaration aims to keep the work accessible as a lasting public landmark.
The takeaway
Public art tied to ecological restoration can serve both cultural and environmental purposes over time. The Third Paradise installation shows how a living landscape element can extend an artwork's meaning beyond the gallery.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more Fine Art news and features.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ANSA.
