From May 17th, 2014 to January 15th, 2015, the Dome Square in Pisa will host Angels, an exhibition by Igor Mitoraj. The exhibit – which has been organized by the Pisan Committee for the Preservation of the Cathedral Works – inaugurates a new space devoted to temporary expositions, whose aim is that of enriching the cultural offer inside the area of Miracle Square monumental complex. The event has to be seen against the overall background of the overall undertaking to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the laying of Pisa Cathedral first stone; it is the first time that a contemporary artist is involved in such a context, on the Leaning Tower Square.
Within the frame of a given location, providing Pisa Dome Square with new spaces aims indeed at creating and reviving a dialogue between past and present – an interplay on the underlying themes of sacred art. With this perspective in mind, it becomes easier to understand why the work of an international celebrity such as Igor Mitoraj has been chosen to fulfill so ambitious a purpose. Apart from having occasionally accomplished works intended for several sacred buildings both in Rome (church of Saint Mary of the Angels – monumental doors, church of Saint Mary of the Martyrs – same intervention) and in Warsaw (church of the Jesuits – bronze door), the artist is known for a marble sculpture group representing the Annunciation of Our Lady, which he brought to completion on behalf of the Vatican Museums.
Under the direction of its ideator, Architect Alberto Bartalini, the exhibition is coordinated by a scientific committee including Antonio Paolucci, Director of the Vatican Museums, Francesco Buranelli, Secretary of the Papal Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, and art critic Luca Beatrice. In his work, Mitoraj takes inspiration from contemporary human beings, whose fractures and suffering he depicts in a vivid way. In times like yours, torn apart by wrenching political, religious and cultural confrontations, Mitoraj has resolved to stand up for the “losing heroes”, those who never stop pursuing their dreams of freedom. Free as he is from any subjection to classical or mythological models, the sculptor makes use of an expressive language of his own, which is immediately recognizable in its self-assertion. The works he has selected for this exhibition bear the mark of a utterly personal choices – not to speak of the “Angels” he employs as symbols of a relentless search for quiet and peace.
The exhibition showcases around a hundred of artworks, among which monumental sculptures, bronze artifacts, cast iron castings and drawings are to be found. The exposition will furthermore be enriched by 50 plaster works, displayed for the first time in one and the same gathering to represent the artist’s ideal plaster casts gallery. But this is not the only novelty about the Pisan exhibition, which makes it also possible for visitors to approach a scarcely known product of Mitoraj’s artistry: his paintings. These pictures – whose imposing dimensions recall their author’s activity as a sculptor – profile themselves as the result of an intensive work which has been going on over the last years. While his gold grounds remind us of an ancient Tuscan tradition, the master’s works on paper create a dialogue with the underpaintings which can be admired at the Monumental Graveyard of Pisa. In his artistic research, the sculptor aims actually at building a bridge between past and future on the basis of a pretty peculiar interplay with the omnipresent cultural heritage of Pisa.
Opening hours – On May, 17th, the exhibition timetable will follow an extraordinary schedule, namely: from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Until October: every day, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. From November to January: every day, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Entrance
Full price: 3:00 Euros
Reduced price for schools: 2,00 Euros (caregivers do not pay any fee at all)
Free: children under the age of 10 years (if assisted by a caregiver) and disabled people with their caregivers.
