The Permanent Exhibition
Enlarged, the original sculpture leaves the hands and belongs to the external space.
Reduced, it disappears completely into the hands belonging to our inner space.
The earth, fertility. The glass, the light.
33 woods, the years of her Son upon the earth.
Mary amid Alpha-Omega.
The hands are a haven where I learn to invoke you.
After 25 years since its inauguration, a renovation is needed.
In order to finance this project, the Santa Maria delle Rose Cooperative, is seeking contributions from sponsors: individuals, families, foundations, companies, and others. In return for the contribution, the name and logo of the sponsor will be mentioned on the website, on the monitors in the Exhibition and in the forthcoming book MARIA.
The installation
The layout of this exhibition was designed by the author himself, creating for the first time a structure including the Alpha and the Omega.
The thirty-three glass cylinders would contain the wooden sculptures, the same that had been exhibited in Barcelona, Vic, Tortosa, Tarragona, three times in Rome, in this same church in Assisi, Verona, Zaragoza, Girona, Mallorca and Frankfurt am Main.
Since the first installation at the Pia Almoina in Barcelona in 1998, the glass cylinders emerge from a base consisting of the earth of the location that hosts the exhibition.
In the installation at the Evangelical Church Alte Nikolai in Frankfurt, the reddish earth came from the Rhine vineyards.
So, this earth was brought to Assisi to become the base of the Omega of this installation. With this, Guido Dettoni della Grazia wanted to suggest a communion between the Catholic and the Evangelical Churches.
Spirituality
The church of Santa Maria delle Rose has never been deconsecrated, even so, no liturgical celebration has taken place there for more than 70 years.
Since 2002, the daily display has consisted of a spiritual pause to get closer to Mary and to oneself, holding her Icon, embracing the TAU, or gazing with one’s hands at the Face of Christ. The repertoire of music has been recompiled especially to accompany the visitor. Its everydayness is also the welcome offered by the docent guides, the voice of the exhibition, who since 2002 have invited visitors to contain the Icon, telling its story and revealing that the object of prayer it is prayer itself. This also applies to the TAU, by embracing it, and to the Face of Christ, by touching it. The latter is not on display but is located in a hidden part of the church, accessible only on request: if the visitor expresses interest and devotion, the welcoming lady will suggest this experience.
The life of the exhibition has manifested itself on repeated occasions by hosting songs, choirs, and poetry readings. It also hosted collective creative workshops according to HANDSMATTER practice.