Pope Francis has warned against leaving art solely to the laws of the market. “Certainly the market promotes and canonizes, but there is always the risk that it “vampirizes” creativity, steals innocence and in the end coldly decides what to do,” said the head of the Catholic Church on Sunday at the Art Biennale in Venice giving a speech to artists. “Today it is more necessary than ever to make a clear distinction between art and the market,” emphasized the pontiff.
Shortly before, the Pope had met around 80 prisoners in the women’s prison on the Venetian island of Giudecca and pointed out the problem of overcrowding in many prisons. At the same time, he emphasized the opportunities that imprisonment offers for a new beginning. “Paradoxically, staying in a prison can represent the beginning of something new, the rediscovery of unsuspected beauties in ourselves and others, as symbolized by the artistic event that you host and to whose project you actively contribute,” the Pope said, referring to the Holy See pavilion in the women’s prison, which the inmates helped design.
The Vatican exhibits in the women’s prison
It was the first time a pope had visited the major exhibition of contemporary art, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world every two years. The 60th edition opened on April 20th and runs until November 24th. The works of art shown at the Giudecca were created in dialogue with the imprisoned women. The artists commissioned by the Vatican sought to make their reality understandable to an audience that had never been to a prison. The pavilion is called “Con i miei occhi” (“With my eyes”). It can only be visited with advance reservation.
The Pope flew from Rome to Venice by helicopter early in the morning. From the Giudecca he then crossed to the main Venetian island. A holy mass was also planned on Sunday in St. Mark’s Square.