Solo Exhibition LACRIMAE RERUM. Church Madonna in Tears, Carrara, Italy. June 14 – July 12, 2024

Chiesa Madonna delle Lacrime, via Carriona 44, Carrara, MS, Italy

 “Lacrimae rerum” (“tears of things”) is a Latin phrase that originates from the first book of the Aeneid, by the Roman poet Virgil, written in the early part of the first century BC. In this part of the book, Aeneas contemplates the mural of a temple that depicts the battles of the Trojan War and the deaths of his friends. Aeneas is moved to tears. And he weeps, “sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangent” (“there are tears for things and mortal things touch the mind”). The word rerum is both objective and subjective. There are tears for things. And then, there are tears of things.   

The titel also refers to the name of the venue, Chiesa della Madonna delle Lacrime (Church of Our Lady of Tears). Mary, the mother of Jesus, suffered from seven grievous sorrows. Since then, according to tradition, Mary, known as Our Lady of Tears, appears to people who are in need through her effigies, whether painting, or sculpture. And her tears contain miraculous healing properties

Things in and of themselves have tears. Things feel pain. And things do cry. What is more, things sense humanity and our suffering. Mortality touches. The universe not only reflects but also records our pain. The essence of a thing is its very tears. The concept of lacrimae rerum closelyconnects with the concept of anima mundo (“soul of the world”). The soul of our world contains many dualisms: love and loss; joy and sadness; life and death; crucifixion and resurrection. The world suffers together with us. Its soul cries together with us. What is more, tears are the very expression of emotion itself, at one and the same time personal and universal. Tears demonstrate the highest intensity and deepest truth of a feeling.