Pope Francis made history by becoming the first pontiff to visit the Venice Biennale, where he visited the Vatican’s Holy See pavilion during the 60th Venice Biennale on Sunday, April 28. Arriving by helicopter, the 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church embarked on a tour of the exhibition titled “With My Eyes,” situated within a women’s prison on Venice’s Giudecca Island. This showcase features artworks by notable artists such as Maurizio Cattelan, Simone Fattal, and Corita Kent.
During his visit, the pope underscored the profound impact of art in addressing societal challenges, emphasizing that “the world needs artists.” Acknowledging the unique setting, he highlighted the significant contributions of women artists like Frida Kahlo and Louise Bourgeois. Expressing his heartfelt aspirations, he stated, “I hope with all my heart that contemporary art can open our eyes, helping us to appropriately recognize the invaluable contributions of women as co-protagonists in the human journey.”
The pope also took the time to meet with approximately 80 female prisoners at the penitentiary, offering them words of encouragement. He acknowledged the harsh realities of prison life, including issues like overcrowding, inadequate facilities and resources, and instances of violence, which often lead to immense suffering. However, he emphasized that despite these challenges, prison can also serve as a place for both moral and material renewal.
In light of this, he urged the inmates to seize the opportunity to reconstruct their lives “brick by brick, together, with determination,” highlighting that everyone, including himself, has made mistakes for which they must seek forgiveness. He commended their involvement in the art exhibition as a testament to how, paradoxically, a period of incarceration can mark the beginning of something new, through the rediscovery of the inherent beauty within themselves and others.
The Vatican’s exhibition is curated by the Italian art historian, Chiara Parisi, director of the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and Bruno Racine, CEO of Venice’s Palazzo Grassi–Punta della Dogana. Fitting with the Biennale’s broader theme of “Foreigners Everywhere,” the exhibition looks at life on the margins of society.
Some of the standout works include a vast black-and-white mural by Maurizio Cattelan depicting the soles of his own dirty feet, an obvious allusion to Jesus’s humble foot washing, and a neon sign reading “siamo con voi nella notte,” or “we are with you through the night,” by the Palermo-based collective Claire Fontaine. Meanwhile, the inmates have also made their own contributions, such as poetry on the prison walls.
