The Chapel of Sant’Aquilino Returns to its Former Glory
Schedule: Mon - Fri 8.30 am - 6.30 pm I Sat - Sun 9 am - 7 pm
Tickets: Free admission
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Location: Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore
Address: Corso di Porta Ticinese 35
“One of the most beautiful churches in the world” - that is how the writers of the Middle Ages saw the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore, extraordinary witness to the years in which Milan was the capital of the western Roman Empire. We’re accustomed to seeing it from outside, walking through its columns which have become emblematic of the city’s nightlife and, yet, San Lorenzo holds a surprising treasure - the Sant’Aquilino Chapel, having just undergone a complex series of renovations. Architecture, murals and precious mosaics, all compelling witnesses to paleo-Christian Roman Milan. The origins of the Chapel pre-date those of the Basilica, born as an imperial mausoleum, probably thanks to Queen Galla Placidia, it was then dedicated to San Genesio and, then, to the priest and Martyr Sant’Aquilino, whose remains are still held there in a silver and quartz urn. Originally octagonal in structure, broken up by niches, with frescoes in the apse and the stucchi of the dome, visiting the Chapel is like traveling back in time. However, nothing compares to the splendour of the mosaics which originally almost entirely covered the walls with depictions of Celestial Jerusalem, life-size depictions of the Patriarchs of Israel, the Apostles and the Martyrs, among golden pillars lined with gemstones.
An exhibition dedicated to the Dutch artist Magali Reus, winner of the Arnaldo Pomodoro Prize for Sculpture. In her art Reus accumulates images and objects from everyday life, distorting and reinventing them through the construction of meticulous sculptural puzzles.
In her practice, Sang A Han explores oriental painting in its contemporary adaptation. Soft sculptures and layered paintings made with Meok (China ink), cotton fabric and stitching are the result of an intimate revisitation of tradition through a creation process that the artist herself defines performative.
Over 200 shots, including over 60 medium and small formats, chosen and selected by the author and presented together with an unpublished interview, retrace the career of one of the most famous contemporary photographers.
The retrospective of Nari Ward presents, for the first time, a combination of works that interweaves his exploration of performativity and collaborative projects: over thirty years of practice, presenting early seminal and historical works as well as new productions.