The Vatican Apostolic Library has a new permanent exhibition hall. Its inaugural display is “Tutti: Umanità in cammino.”
The Vatican teamed up with contemporary Roman artist, Pietro Ruffo, to present a first-of-its-kind exhibition exploring social, cultural and artistic themes based on Pope Francis' “Laudato si'” and “Fratelli tutti” encyclicals.
CARD. JOSÉ TOLENTINO DE MENDONÇA
Librarian, Vatican Apostolic Library
“We invited a contemporary artist in order to open a dialogue, to create a polyphonic encounter, taking on the great challenges Pope Francis presents to us today. But we do this in an unexpected way that translates the encyclicals into cultural and artistic images.”
The exhibition is divided into four sections. It begins with Pietro Ruffo's examples of terrestrial and celestial cartography.
Then visitors can admire rare maps from the papal collection, including an astronomical scroll from India and astrolabes from the 16th century.
But the maps aren't purely about geography. Ruffo explains that they're also meant to take visitors on an emotional journey.
PIETRO RUFFO
Artist
“Through geographical maps, I try to analyze historical or social moments, like migration. And these themes are very similar to the ones Pope Francis brings out in his encyclicals. We created an absolutely unusual exhibition, where the contemporary and the ancient completely fuse together and speak the same language.”
That's precisely what this piece at the center of the exhibition does. On one side is a map of the Nile River dating back to the 1600s.
On the other side is Ruffo's reinterpretation of the original travel diary, made in his characteristic style.
His work is often allegorical, using symbols to make social criticisms and represent emotions, dreams and utopias.
One of the first people to visit the exhibition was Pope Francis. He inaugurated the new hall on Friday. Nov. 5.
POPE FRANCIS
Nov. 5, 2021
“In this epochal change that the pandemic has accelerated, humanity needs new maps to discover the meaning of fraternity, social friendship and the common good.”
PIETRO RUFFO
Artist
“The introductory remarks given by His Holiness were very precise. He was very attentive to actuality, to the themes of migration, ecology, the themes this exhibition addresses. And His Holiness, I think, was struck by the creativity, which this exhibition in some way expresses, and especially by its message.”
The exhibition will be open to the public until Feb. 25, 2022. It's a rare opportunity to visit the Vatican Apostolic Library, which until now was closed to all but scholars and select groups.
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