Six contemporary artists -Tiziana Cera Rosco, Giovanni Gaggia, Eva Gerd, Maddalena Mauri, Pablo Rubio, Sasha Vinci- confront each other on the symbolism of an anonymous canvas whose origin is assumed to lie in Spain. This artwork, can be seen at the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Scicli.

The canvas is an example of refined iconography of the 17th century representing the Passion, which refers to a wood sculpture of the 14th century venerated at Santa Maria Church in Burgos. The Christ Crucified is painted on a dark background, below which are symbolic figures. The singularity of this artwork is expressed by the Christ’s body, covered from the waist by peculiar white clothing, a typical Burgos’ habit.

Humankind’s cultural signs are conceived as sacred, phylogenetically impressed in everyone’s subconscious. Hence every relation with the archetype is emotional. The effigies of the egg, the two sword handles and the Christ on the dark background, escaping from the darkness, are images that not only belong to the Christian religion, but also are linked to our humanity. They can be easily read in present times, going beyond their spiritual meaning. Six artists mend these symbols created in the past, un-tying and re-tying them, eventually creating new ones.

In occasion of the first Special Project, the symbolic contents of this anonymous artwork will be re-elaborated. Its religious peculiarity does not constitute a limit, being continuously open to a plenty of different ideologies. It is instead a debatable artwork because of its multiple and unique mysteries that confer an intimate and uncontaminated value, pure and deep, which aims to re-surface through contemporary art.

Besides the artworks created by the six contemporary artists, a white flag will be hoisted at the Clang’s centre during the opening of the Special Project. The white flag is part of “La Resa”, an art-work by Regina José Galindo and David Perez Karmadavis. The action performance will take place at a distance, since the two artists won’t be able to be present, videos of the artist Regina José will follow.

La Resa
La Resa -The Surrender- expresses the worrying violence afflicting the country of Guatemala (Regina José Galindo’s native country). It appeals to the general feeling of the Guatemalan society that aims to live in peace. The hoisted white flag involves two meanings: dialogue or surrender. When the enemy sees it he realizes that he must lay down the arms. The Peace flag is an universal symbol that represents the sense of uniqueness in diversity. It has been unanimously accepted by all the American countries on April 15th 1935 at the White House, where the Roerich Peace Treaty was signed in order to preserve the humanity’s cultural heritage.

Via Francesco Mormino Penna, 23
Scicli (Rg) 97018 Italy

Opening hours
From Thursday to Sunday
17.00 - 21.00 or by appointment