Sidival Fila is both a Franciscan friar and contemporary artist. And his work—centered around redeeming and resuing old materials—is on display at the Vatican Library.
As an 18th-century restorer, Fila's artwork ranges from textiles to paintings to old or simple materials. His pieces are a testament to his craftsmanship and his attention to detail often leaves his audience surprised that it is not created by a machine.
FR. DON GIACOMO CARDINALI
Curator, Vatican Library
Actually it is all done by hand, it is a great deception. Everything you see on that work is done by the artist by hand. He reproduced a map as if it were printed and a series of books and manuscripts from different periods, with different characters in different languages, as if they were done in print.
Fila's exhibition inspired Vatican Library curators to reflect on materials from papal history that have been reused—even dating back to Pope Clement VII. He ordered one of his assistants to reuse silver from the papal treasury to create coins to pay his ransom to the Roman Emperor during the sack of Rome in 1527.
SIMONA DE CRESCENZO
Curator, Vatican Library
(The assistant) was instructed by the pontiff to get rid of the papal treasury's precious gems, so that they could be melted down. The silver was then minted in a hurry to create the coins that would pay the pontiff's ransom to Charles V. The coins were created hastily with the image of the Pope.
The 500-year-old silver coins are far from the only example of recycled goods on display. These and others have been revived through the influence of contemporary art.
SIMONA DE CRESCENZO
Curator, Vatican Library
We've found a way to have a dialogue with a world that seems so distant from such a historic library. Contemporary art really allows us, through the connections it gives us, to open a kind of window into a part of heritage that maybe we wouldn't have considered at this time.
Fila's artwork is the 4th contemporary art exhibition in the Vatican Library. It is open for the public to appreciate art made from materials that have a rich history.
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