On Friday, June 23, 2023, Pope Francis invited creatives from different fields to gather at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, launching a new cultural dialogue.
This event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Museums’ Modern & Contemporary Collections.
Among those present were Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso, British film director Ken Loach, British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor, and notable designers and architects such as Daniel Arsham, Michele De Lucchi, Jean Nouvel, and Bjarke Ingels.
Pope Francis addresses the world’s creatives, saying, “Your art propels us forward.”
In his speech, Pope Francis emphasized the special relationship between the Catholic Church and the arts.
He acknowledged the Vatican’s long history of collaboration and patronage of artists, as evidenced by the collaborative efforts of renowned Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Perugino, and others in creating the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel.
The Pope reiterated the openness and innovation that artists bring to the world through their distinct originality.
He recognized that artists infuse their creations with a piece of themselves, thus contributing to something greater.
By virtue of their abilities, they shed light on the extraordinary and introduce novelty into the world.
The Pope praised artists for their ability to imagine new possibilities for the world and to bring new perspectives to history.
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