Invited by the Archbishop of Santiago (Chile), Cardinal Fernando Chomali, Chilean artists participated in the third edition of the “Thirty tabernacles for Jesus” initiative, which are exhibited at the San Sebastián University and will be delivered to different parishes and chapels in the country. .
The call was made in July, and each of the 30 artists was given a tabernacle to paint in their own style, but with inspiration from faith, art and spirituality.
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The exhibition can be viewed for free from Monday to Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time), and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The archbishop himself participated in the creation of one of them: “I sought to capture the mystery that lies within, the sacramental Jesus Christ. I also wanted to make it clear that beauty is a wonderful way to approach God and also to unite worlds,” he explained. to the newspaper The Mercury.
“I used the technique of acrylic and gold leaf,” he said, highlighting that he learned a lot about art from his father, who “had a highly developed aesthetic sense in the field of painting and music.”
However, when his work on the tabernacle was still unfinished, they announced to him that he would be created a Cardinal, and he did not have “the time or the peace of mind to finish it,” so he needed help. “It was a very well done job, because behind it there was a lot of love,” he said.
Each tabernacle is a unique piece that stands out for its originality and beauty, and among the artists who joined the project are Hernán Gana, Guadalupe Valdés, Benjamín Lira, Lourdes Naveillán, Benito Rojo and Francisca Cortés.
“The tabernacle is the place where the presence of God is,” said Bishop Chomali. “It seems to me that it is a place of worship and it has to be beautiful. That is why the beauty that the artists manifest and their expression of faith is very well expressed,” he considered.
“This project has the purpose of uniting worlds. Unite the world of chapels that do not have tabernacles, and on the other hand, artists who want to manifest their talents and gifts at the service of humanity,” he said.
From December 18 to December 31, the tabernacles are on display at the Los Leones Campus of the San Sebastián University (Lota 2465), Providencia.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.