杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

鈥淭he world needs artists.鈥� This was the message 杏MAP导航 Francis imparted on Sunday morning as he met with a group of artists the Holy See is exhibiting at its pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale.

Addressing the group in the Church of La Maddalena in the Giudecca's women's prison facility, the 杏MAP导航 praised artists as true visionaries who can see beyond the boundaries of our world.

No human being is a stranger

鈥淏eside you, I do not feel like a stranger,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 feel at home.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 noted that this feeling 鈥渁pplies to every human being,鈥� because, 鈥渁rt has the status of a 鈥榗ity of refuge鈥�, a city that 鈥渄isobeys the rule of violence and discrimination in order to create forms of human belonging capable of recognizing, including, protecting, and embracing everyone鈥�, starting from the least of society.

Recalling that the Old Testament established the 鈥渃ities of refuge鈥� to offer offenders asylum and protection from revenge until their case went to trial, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited artists to imagine cities 鈥渢hat do not yet exist on the maps鈥� where鈥� no human being is considered a stranger.鈥� 

鈥淚t would be important if the various artistic practices could establish themselves everywhere as a sort of network of cities of refuge, cooperating to rid the world of the senseless and empty contrasts that seek to gain ground in racism, xenophobia,  inequality, ecological imbalance and in the 鈥榝ear of the poor鈥�."

鈥淏ehind these contrasts," 杏MAP导航 Francis observed, "there is always the refusal of the other. There is the selfishness that makes us function as solitary islands rather than collaborative archipelagos.鈥�

Art educates to contemplation

杏MAP导航 Francis then delved into the title chosen for the Holy See鈥檚 Pavilion at the Art Biennale of Venice, 鈥淲ith my eyes鈥�.

鈥淲e all need to be gazed at and to dare to gaze at ourselves,鈥� he said, and Jesus teaches us to do so: 鈥淗e gazes at everyone with the intensity of a love that does not judge, but knows how to be close and to encourage.鈥�

Art, the 杏MAP导航 observed, educates us to this perspective. 鈥淚t is not possessive nor objectifying, but neither indifferent nor superficial, it educates us to a contemplative gaze.鈥�

Valuing the uniqueness of femininity

Bringing his address to a close, 杏MAP导航 Francis expressed his hope that contemporary art may also help us value the contribution of women to humanity.

鈥淭here are joys and sufferings that unite in femininity in a unique form, and which we must listen to because they have something important to teach us,鈥� he said citing, amongst others, famous female artists such as Frida Khalo, Sister Mary Corita Kent and Louise Bourgeois.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his speech by inviting those present to keep in their heart the question Jesus addressed to the crowd, regarding John the Baptist: 鈥淲hat did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see?鈥� (Mt 11:7-8). That question, he said, 鈥渋mpels us towards the future.鈥�