Pope Francis in Venice says "I would like to send this message to everyone: the world needs artists." to Artists - FULL TEXT

VISIT OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS TO VENICE - MEETING WITH THE ARTISTS

To artists in the Giudecca's women's prison facility in Venice, Pope Francis invites everyone to imagine a world where no human being is considered a stranger. “The world needs artists.” said Pope Francis on Sunday morning as he met with a group of artists the Holy See is exhibiting at its pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale. He spoke to the group in the Church of La Maddalena in the Giudecca's women's prison facility, and praised artists as true visionaries who can see beyond the boundaries of our world.

SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER

Church of Maddalena (Giudecca Island)

V Sunday of Easter Time, 28 April 2024

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Mr Cardinal, Excellencies, Mr Minister, Mister President, Distinguished Curators, Dear Artists!

I really wanted to come to the Venice Art Biennale to return a visit, as is good habit among friends. Last June, in fact, I had the joy of welcoming a large group of artists to the Sistine Chapel. Now I am the one to come "to your home" to meet you personally, to feel even closer to you and, in this way, to thank you for what you are and what you do. And at the same time from here I would like to send this message to everyone: the world needs artists.

This is demonstrated by the multitude of people of all ages who frequent art places and events; I like to mention among these the Vatican Chapels, the first Pavilion of the Holy See built six years ago on the Island of San Giorgio, in collaboration with the Cini Foundation, as part of the Architecture Biennale.

I confess that next to you I don't feel like a stranger: I feel at home. And I think that in reality this applies to every human being, because, to all intents and purposes, art has the status of a "city of refuge", an entity that disobeys the regime of violence and discrimination to create forms of human belonging capable of recognize, include, protect, embrace everyone. Everyone, starting from the last.

Cities of refuge are a biblical institution, already mentioned in the Deuteronomic code (see Dt 4.41), intended to prevent the shedding of innocent blood and to moderate the blind desire for revenge, to guarantee the protection of human rights and seek forms of reconciliation . It would be important if the various artistic practices could constitute themselves everywhere as a sort of network of cities of refuge, collaborating to free the world from senseless and now emptied antinomies, but which seek to gain the upper hand in racism, xenophobia, inequality, ecological imbalance and of aporophobia, this terrible neologism which means “phobia of the poor”. Behind these antinomies there is always the rejection of the other. There is selfishness that makes us function like solitary islands instead of collaborative archipelagos. I implore you, artist friends, imagine cities that do not yet exist on the map: cities in which no human being is considered a stranger. This is why when we say “foreigners everywhere”, we are proposing “brothers everywhere”.

The title of the pavilion we are in is “With my eyes”. We all need to be looked at and to dare to look at ourselves. In this, Jesus is the perennial Master: He looks at everyone with the intensity of a love that he does not judge, but he knows how to be close to and encourage. And I would say that art educates us to this type of gaze, not possessive, not objectifying, but not indifferent, superficial; it educates us to a contemplative gaze. Artists are in the world, but they are called to go beyond. For example, today more than ever it is urgent that they know how to clearly distinguish art from the market. Of course, the market promotes and canonizes, but there is always the risk that it "vampirizes" creativity, steals innocence and, finally, coldly instructs what to do.

Today we have chosen to all meet together here, in the Giudecca women's prison. It's true that no one has a monopoly on human pain. But there is a joy and a suffering that come together in the feminine in a unique form and to which we must listen, because they have something important to teach us. I think of artists like Frida Khalo, Corita Kent or Louise Bourgeois and many others. I hope with all my heart that contemporary art can open our gaze, helping us to adequately enhance the contribution of women, as co-protagonists of the human adventure.

Dear Artists, I remember the question addressed by Jesus to the crowds, regarding John the Baptist: «What did you go to see in the desert? A barrel blown by the wind? So, what did you go to see?” (Mt 11,7-8). Let us keep this question in our hearts, in our hearts. It pushes us towards the future.

Thank you! I carry you in prayer. And please pray for me. Thank you.

Source: Vatican News Bulletin Translation