A more gentle world…
Where rivers run clean…
A cup of tea and silence…
Gardens without walls…
Where rivers run clean…
A cup of tea and silence…
Gardens without walls…
…from Kazakhstan
…from Kolkata
…from Toronto
…from Seoul
…from Kolkata
…from Toronto
…from Seoul
Italy International Center
Postcards
from Utopia
from Utopia
Visions of a more perfect world — handmade by creative people from Kazakhstan to Korea, from India to Canada, each one a postcard from somewhere better.
About the Project
What is Utopia?
Postcards from Utopia began with a simple invitation: imagine you are already living in a more perfect world. What would you write home about? What would it look like? Created by Sarasota-based artists Anja and Joel Palombo, an international team, and the Italy International Center, the exhibition invited people across the globe to participate — handwritten note on the back, stamp affixed — and send it through the mail.
The response spanned continents: Canada to Kazakhstan, South Korea to Scotland. Some envisioned landscapes free from climate crisis; others imagined communities of shared abundance; and some, simply, a warm bed and a cat. Together, the postcards became something larger than any one vision — a dialogue, a chorus, a collective portrait of human longing for a more connected and peaceful world.
The postcards
Selected works
From over 100 submissions representing more than 15 countries. Each postcard is handmade and unique.
— Joel Palombo
"In a world with despair and problems, it's an opportunity to stop and think about what might make a better world. Maybe it's more attainable than we think."
The exhibitions
Two openings, two continents
Postcards from Utopia debuted in Sarasota, Florida in January 2024 with around 150 works, and traveled to Alvito, Lazio, Italy in September 2024 — where the collection had grown to over 200 postcards, exhibited in the magnificent Palazzo Gallio.
Opening night · Phillippi Crest Clubhouse · Sarasota, January 2024
The Sarasota Opening
The first showing of Postcards from Utopia at the historic Phillippi Crest Clubhouse in Sarasota's Maine Colony District. Over 150 handmade cards were displayed alongside live jazz performances by local musicians.
Palazzo Gallio (Palazzo Ducale) · Alvito, Lazio · September 2024
The Alvito Exhibition
Over 200 postcards were exhibited at the magnificent Palazzo Gallio — built between 1596 and the mid-17th century and long the seat of the Dukes of Alvito. Its grand atrium, frescoed chambers, and 17th-century Neapolitan canvases provided a breathtaking counterpoint to the humble postcard. The opening drew artists from the United States, England, Germany, Scotland, and across Italy. In the days that followed, local schoolchildren arrived — and for these digital-age students, the handwritten postcard was a revelation.
In the press
Read about the project
Sarasota Magazine · January 2024
An Upcoming Exhibit Showcases Visions of Utopia From Near and Far
Read the article →
Exhibition write-up · Alvito, September 2024
Utopia Comes to the Heart of Italy
Italy International Center