Awe Inspiring Papal Art Illuminates Struggle of Homeless & Impoverished
PHILADELPHIA, PA (PRWEB) June 27, 2015 -- Art and religion are eternally linked. "Undoing the Knots," part of the larger Mercy and Justice effort, commissioned by Project Home and the World Meeting of Families, is a massive public art project underway to commemorate the historic U.S. visit of Pope Francis and to remind us of our duty to help one another.
Join internationally renowned artist Meg Saligman, and hundreds of participants, on Monday June 29, 2015 at noon on Dilworth Plaza in downtown Philadelphia, adjacent to City Hall. Citizens will add their individual struggles to the project by writing anonymous statements on strips of cloth that will be woven into the installation on the Parkway.
Part of the larger Mercy and Justice effort, Saligman taps into struggle at every level with a multimedia installation. Video, paint, cloth, structure and light combine with the voice of the community. The spectacle will coincide with Pope Francis’ visit to The World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia on September 26 and 27, 2015.
The World Meeting’s Hunger and Homeless Committee and Project HOME share The Mercy and Justice effort, inspired by the Pope’s visit to the United States, and intended to create future social change: The Francis Fund and The Act for Justice Campaign approach the knotty issue of social change from every angle.
Because nearly everyone wants to participate in the Pope’s visit to Philadelphia, Saligman is now collecting hundreds of thousands of strips of cloth from people all over the world. Each is inscribed with words of someone’s struggle, from personal to global. With all the fanfare around the visit of Pope Francis, the installation can serve as a visual reminder to focus our energy toward helping others. Surely, the sheer number of knots will inspire viewers to take action and feel compassion for one another.
Undoing The Knots will be located in front of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on the Parkway, where Pope Francis will hold a mass and greet millions. The strips are woven into an ethereal grotto for visitors to view, contemplate and engage with one another. Saligman also plans to project images onto the great dome of the Basilica, adding to its captivating quality.
“We are creating a story of beauty and engagement,” said artist Meg Saligman. “Undoing the Knots is a tangible object that’s growing. We must embrace the dialog within ourselves and others. The core of religion is love and acceptance.” Saligman will be on hand on Monday, June 29 at Dilworth Plaza to answer questions from the press and the public.
For more information about Undoing the Knots, visit http://www.mercyandjustice.org/knots.
About Meg Saligman Studios
Award winning artist Meg Saligman’s combines the classical with the contemporary. Her iconic work is conceived and executed with a master’s skill that consistently breaks new ground and elevates the field of public art. She’s created some of the largest art installations in the world, with works in Mexico City; Tanzania, Africa; Shreveport, Louisiana; Omaha, Nebraska; and her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit Meg’s website.
Sue Spolan, Meg Saligman Studios, http://www.megsaligman.com, +1 2158503939, [email protected]
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