(Sixth Power) – Carpi – 17 April 2024 – “I inform you that the “Gratia Plena” exhibition set up at the “Cardinal Rodolfo Pio di Savoia” diocesan museum in Carpi (MO), will end, against my will, on 18.4.2024. The decision is dictated by my precarious state of health, following the attack I suffered and the continuous demonstrations of dissent which culminated in the well-known episodes of physical and verbal violence. Furthermore, it is no longer possible for me to cover the costs relating to security, previously unforeseen, which are indispensable in order to guarantee the peaceful access of visitors to the exhibition and the safety of all collaborators and volunteers. A heartfelt and dutiful thank you to the curators of the exhibition, my team and all those who supported me”: the artist Andrea Saltini writes this on his Facebook page, (in the photo above), in recent days at the center of a strong controversy due to the content – considered by many to be “blasphemous” – of his works.
A very heated climate which culminated at the end of March with the attack suffered by the artist himself at the hands of an unknown person inside the church of Sant’Ignazio di Carpi, a place of worship where the disputed exhibition had also taken place.
Following this announcement, the Diocese of Carpi issued a press release with this content: “The Diocesan Museum takes note of the decision of the artist Andrea Saltini to interrupt the opening to the public of the “Gratia plena” exhibition set up with some of his works. In expressing full understanding and sharing of the reasons given, we thank Andrea Saltini for sharing a partly pioneering attempt to identify possible interactions between contemporary artistic experiences and religious paths and mystical research. The gravity of the succession of hate attacks, of the violence against a work and even against the artist himself, of the systematic and aggressive demonstrations of hostility towards the Church of Carpi and, specifically, its Pastors, is not lost on us. It is unfortunate that the repeated invitations to seek a peaceful, frank and correct dialogue, lowering the noisy and coarse tones, were not accepted.”
In the opening days over two thousand people visited the exhibition and civilly expressed their impressions. The comparison, regarding the relationship between artists and the Gospel so desired by the Church starting from the Vatican Ecumenical Council and in particular by Pope Paul VI, will continue in the specific synodal construction site. It will then continue with other initiatives in society and in the church on the possibility of using new languages to address spiritual and religious themes through different artistic expressions. Precisely the laboriously tumultuous debates of these days have shown us the need for more fraternal balances and deeper appropriate reflections to adequately relate to the complexity of an intercultural dialogue that is not trivially irenic or prejudicially conflictual”: concludes the note from the Diocese of Carpi.
Tags: Carpi controversial Gratia plena exhibition closes doors artist decision due precarious state health
