The continuous controversies, then the attack on March 38th made the artist from Carpi choose to prematurely close the exhibition of his works hosted in the Church of Sant’Ignazio di Carpi which will not reopen from tomorrow. Full solidarity from the Diocese which nevertheless thanked Saltini for “having shared the attempt to find interactions between artistic experiences and religious paths”
CARPI (Modena) – Andrea Saltini’s exhibition closes its doors. The artist himself decided this after the continuous controversy, the attack he received last March 28 at the hands of a man who, before throwing himself at the artist from Carpi, had vandalized the Inri San Longino work, the one that some groups of ultra-conservative Catholics have branded as blasphemous. All this, the long and polemical debate with aggressive tones also via social media, which was created around his works, led Saltini to choose to say enough and to prematurely close his solo show entitled “Gratia plena” which the church of Sant ‘Ignazio was supposed to stay open until June 2nd. “I’m tired – explained Saltini. I have neither won nor lost, I simply want to escape the hatred of those who have chosen me as a scapegoat to carry out certain ideological battles” – concluded Saltini, still tired from the treatment that followed the attack for which he was given another 15 days of prognosis “I sleep badly – he explained and I am very, very tired”. The Diocesan Museum expressed full understanding for the artist’s choice to close early. “We thank Saltini for having shared an attempt – writes the Diocese – partly pioneering, to identify possible interactions between contemporary artistic experiences and religious paths and mystical research. The gravity of the succession of hate attacks – the Curia continues in the statement – of violence against a work and even against the artist himself, as well as systematic and aggressive demonstrations of hostility towards the Church of Carpi and, specifically, of his Pastors. It is unfortunate that the repeated invitations to seek a peaceful, frank and correct dialogue, lowering the noisy and coarse tones, were not accepted. Thus ends a story that had very little to do with art, Salti
