Via Pulchritudinis: an exhibition of sacred art

For the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu, being celebrated today, an exhibition of sacred art entitled Via Pulchritudinis: The Way of Beauty is being organised at the Dar Karmni Grima in Għarb between June 20 and July 26. The curator of this exhibition is Fr Charles Cini sdb.

The participating artists are: Martin Attard, Noel Attard, John Martin Borg, Amadeo Brogli (Italian), Austin Camilleri, Paul Camillleri Cauchi, Anthony Caruana, Justin Falzon, Manuel Farrugia, Sergio Favotto (Italian), Loreta Grech, John Grima, Vincent Mangani, Daniel Scerri, Frank Schembri, George Scicluna and Paul Stellini.

The main aim behind the exhibition is to give space to these artists to expose beauty through art and at the same time to collect funds for the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary. The project that is about to take place during the next months has the aim of continuing to make Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary a place of peace and spiritual oasis. The project will consist in a parking and a Visitors Centre, the restoration of the precincts that surround the Sanctuary and the installation of twenty Mysteries of the Rosary, the Retreat House and the planting of more biblical trees (already 150 trees have been planted) along the Għammar Hill next to the Way of the Cross.

The Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary does not have any European Funds for this project and all the money has to forked out by the Sanctuary itself. The European Funds in favour of the Sanctuary were only given for the restoration of the ten paintings by Giuseppe Briffa and the restoration of the Dar Karmni Grima; the latter is now open for visitors and the work on it has been finished.

The Etching of the Painting of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu is an edition of 99 etchings printed on white Magnani paper. Each etching is numbered on the bottom left hand side and signed in pencil by the artist on the bottom right hand side. The size of the paper is of 35x50cm and the size of the copper plate is 22x31cm. The artist uses two different techniques: etching and soft ground.