Conversations across the Atlantic is a project organized by The Italian Program and the Language, Business and Culture Program at Montclair State University. It was curated by Enza Antenos, Director, Language Business & Culture Program, Marisa S. Trubiano, Associate Professor of Italian, in collaboration with Mariantonietta Firmani, founder of Parallelo42 contemporary art.
The first conversation was held on November 18, 2025 with Cristina Mottironi, Economist, who serves as the Head of the Tourism Major of Bocconi University. The second conversation was held on November 20, 2025 with Laura Sanò, Philosopher, Associate Professor of Contemporary Philosophy of Padova University. Both guests are featured authors in the forthcoming book curated by Mariantonietta Firmani, Liberi tutti.
Conversations across the Atlantic, is a small bridge project between Italy and the United States, inspired by Firmani’s multidisciplinary Liberi Tutti book project. In this first edition: Sustaining Travel and Thought, the presenters and attendees delved into some fundamental questions that “Liberi tutti” poses. For example: What do world citizens need to know to be fully present and to be truly free in today’s world? Communication technologies, if used correctly, allow us to meet virtually, and to escape what often amounts to imprisonment in our own “echo chambers.”
Directly reaching innovative sources of knowledge like economist Cristina Mottironi and philosopher Laura Sanò allowed participants to reflect and engage in discussion about such diverse and timely topics as: possibilities and new initiatives in sustainable travel and tourism; and a major philosophical concept such as Hannah Arendt’s “banality of evil” and the responsibility of every individual to always think ahead and beyond what society may be proposing.
With this initial bridge project between Italy and the United States, we crossed the Atlantic virtually to create a mutual opportunity to enrich knowledge, to increase dialogue and creativity, and to nurture greater freedom for making future choices to benefit individuals and society as a whole.
Watch the video with Cristina Mottironi economist
Watch the video with Laura Sanò, philosopher,
Discover the LIBERI TUTTI project. Listen to the our interviews in CONTEMPORANEMANTE PODCAST SU TRECCANI.IT E SU ARTRIBUNE.COM