VENICE, Italy (AP) — A pair of nude feet — dirty, wounded and vulnerable — are painted on the façade of the Venice women’s prison chapel, the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and part of the Vatican’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art show in an innovative collaboration between inmates and artists.
That Cattelan is the lead artist is striking, given that his provocative life-size was figure of Pope John Paul II lying on his side, crushed by a massive meteorite, shocked Catholics when it was displayed at the 2001 Biennale. The new work, titled “Father,” is considered a thematic counterpoint to a performance piece he produced for the 1999 Biennale titled “Mother,” during which a religious ascetic was buried under sand, with only his hands clasped in prayer showing.
The Vatican’s culture minister, Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, praised the work, which he noted recalled the naked, dirty feet of Caravaggio’s saints, while also being highly symbolic of the journey behind the Holy See’s pavilion, showing “the desire to dirty one’s feet, to show that whoever has feet has a carnality.’’
Andy Murray back on practice court after confirming no surgery for ankle injury
Plan to tap Russian assets for Ukraine slammed
Zhongguancun Forum builds platform for global sci
Interview: China sees rapid urbanization, integrated development in all fields
Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, but transgender sports rule still on hold
Airshow China kicks off in port city Zhuhai
Red Sea crisis mounts pressure on Asia trade
Xinhua Commentary: BRICS gains charm as global dynamics shift
Caitlin Clark mobbed by fans at introductory Indiana Fever press conference
Chad kicks off presidential campaign
Rap artist GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia
Seasonal fishing ban lifted at some sea areas in SE China's Fujian