The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Library
On November 5, Pope Francis attended the inauguration of a new gallery in the Vatican Apostolic Library, which is normally only open to scholars, for a contemporary art exhibition. The library's first public exhibition space, funded by the heirs of American philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian, and organized by the Atlanta-based Sanctuary of Culture Foundation, is meant to "support the culture of encounter," according to librarian Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça.
Pietro Ruffo, an Italian artist, has created new work based on the pope's most recent encyclical, an open letter to the Catholic clergy and laity in which the pope expresses his views on a specific aspect of church doctrine. The art show is titled "Tutti. Umanità in cammino" or "Everyone: Humanity on Its Way." Published in October, a document called Fratelli Tutti reflects the pope's thoughts about brotherhood and "social friendship" based on the writings of St Francis.
In a Vatican statement, the Vatican said Ruffo had been hired to create a new work for the gallery, which would explore migration and travel, "highlighting both its difficulties and its beauty." According to the Catholic News Agency, the installation The Clearest Way transforms the Vatican Library's Sala Barberini "into a lush tropical forest" with Ruffo's rolled botanical prints lining the 17th-century wooden bookcases. "History meets the present" opportunities are being used by the Vatican to enhance its arts and culture programming, according to De Mendonça. Ruffo's work is on display in addition to a 20-foot-long 17th-century map of the Nile river by an Ottoman explorer, as well as Chinese world maps dating to the 16th century, which are housed in the Vatican Library.
"The dialogue between my research and the terrestrial and celestial maps of different eras and cultures outlines a humanity that is increasingly interconnected and responsible for the fragile relationship with its ecosystem," Ruffo told CNA of his encounter with the immense patrimony of the Vatican Apostolic Library.
Jean Dubreil