Vatican Pavilion at the Venice Biennale continues its journey

By Vatican News

The Holy See Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia continues its displays, workshops and visits in the in city’s Giudecca Women’s Prison with more events running until 24 November. 

Entitled “With My Own Eyes”,  the Pavilion is dedicated to the theme of human rights and people living on the margins of society, and seeks to draw the world’s attention to those people who are largely ignored while fostering a culture of encounter. The unique context of the exhibition allows artistic experiences to be intertwined with the daily lives of the inmates, offering a space for expression and dialogue through internal workshops and guided tours open to the public.

Since its official opening, on April 20, the eight artists involved in the project (Maurizio Cattelan, Claire Fontaine, Bintou Dembélé, Simone Fattal, Sonia Gomes, Marco Perego and Zoe Saldana, Claire Tabouret, and with the collaboration of the Corita Art Center) and the inmates, supported by the curators, the educators and the prison officers, have carried out a series workshops that dialogue and complete the exhibition (free guided tours for the public continue at 10am, 11am, 3pm, and 4pm, every day, except on Wednesdays, and booking is required at least 48 hours in advance).

A catalogue to be published in September

An integral part of this multifaceted project is also the catalogue, edited by the curators Chiara Parisi and Bruno Racine and published by Marsilio Arte, which will be officially presented on 10 September at the Gallerie d'Italia of Intesa Sanpaolo bank bank in Milan, and which will be distributed in bookstores and online on the Marsilio Arte website starting from September 6 at the price of 35 euros.

Under the artistic direction of Irma Boom, the catalogue is at the same time the memory of the project and an in-depth analysis of the work carried out by the curators, showcasing the active dialogue established between the eight artists involved and the inmates of the Giudecca Women’s Prison..

The book  opens with a preface by Pope Francis, and includes a contribution by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonya, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, and  an introduction by Giovanni Bazoli, President Emeritus of Intesa Sanpaolo bank.

The catalogue then delves into the project with testimonies of the artists involved, Olivian Cha and Nellie Scott (of the Corita Art Center, Los Angeles), the inmates and the staff of the penintiary.

The  volume is enriched by a vast array of pictures, with photographs by Marco Cremascoli, which show the projects detention centre  and those by the artist Juergen Teller, which capture the historic visit of Pope Francis to the Pavilion on 28 April.

Workshops

The inmates have taken part in several workshops, such as that of the Claire Fontaine duo based on the Feldenkrais method to promote self-awareness in relation to the surrounding environment based on movement.

The Corita Art Center in Los Angeles involved them in a series of events inspired by the methodology of the famous American artist, educator, and former religious sister.

Articles written by inmates for L'Osservatore di Strada

Furthermore, L'Osservatore di Strada, the magazine of L'Osservatore Romano Vatican newspaper issued a special edition in collaboration with Maurizio Cattelan with the editorial content written by the inmates of La Giudecca prison  (the supplement is available online).

In  September the choreographer and dancer Bintou Dembélé will stage an inedited version of  her  "Rite de passage - solo II", performed  by the dancer "Meech" Onomo.

Screening of a short film at 81st International Venice Film Festival

Finally, on the occasion of the 81st International Venice Film Festival, on 5 September 2024, the Hotel Excelsior, will host the screening “Dovecote”, the touching short film produced by film director Marco Perego and featuring the renowned actress Zoe Saldana.

Filmed inside the penitentiary with the extraordinary and intense participation of the inmates as actresses, the short film immerses the viewer in an introspective journey, in search of the deepest meaning of freedom.

These workshops and dialogues with the inmates are a follow-up of the activities that contributed to giving life to the Pavilion, such as the workshop with the poems by the inmates that enriched the work of Simone Fattal, or the personal photographs of the residents for the workshop of Claire Tabouret, which are still visible in  the Pavilion.

Added to this is the formation of the inmates who have become guides and narrators of the Pavilion, accompanying visitors with their unique and personal perspectives.