On Friday, June 12th, the Centro Cultural Contraviento inaugurated the exhibition “Sacred Art in the Digital Era: A Pathway for Faith During Times of Immediacy” by Pool&Marianela.
We were accompanied by the artists, who talked with the attendees.
Under the premise of upholding interest in faith from the rigorousness of current demands, the artists display a vast exhibition. It’s about rereading Catholic concepts and iconography in the vertiginous times to which the contemporary spectator and consumer are subjected.
The pieces are built upon comic books published by DC Comics since 1939, using this pop culture archive to review central topics related to the Christological tradition: sacrifice, martyrdom and the image of the Savior.
The journey is completed with works by Theo Paolini (2023-2025), whose production introduces a singular dimension where children’s imagination converses with the symbolic axis of the exhibition.
“We developed a simple way to translate the message to the masses: we took an already established cultural code, and we fused it to the event we wanted to portray. This means speed, simplification of the tones, economic use of color and the creation of patterns that emulate the survival methods of neoliberalism. All of this under the easy digestion style used by fast food chains, a fashion brand or the innuendo of comics.
That is how we gave back that tradition to its audience, making space for faith to be kept alive, even if it seems contradictory. Especially when it tries to adapt to demands, needs or the pace that current times require, and the context of its creation. It’s a paradox of the Sacred. We’re convinced of the importance of art to faith. That is why we believe that just mentioning Catholic subjects contributes to keeping alive the interest in faith in an essential way.”
