‘Sandro Chia and Enzo Cucchi, exponents of the “transavantgarde” artistic movement, of international renown by the end of the 70s, with the theoretical backing of critic Achille Bonito Oliva, will be presenting, as part of the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples, a large mosaic work executed by four hands. The work represents an attempt to identify religiosity within modern artistic poetics, emphasising a concept of art holiness seen as ongoing tension between the world of images and representation and reflection on life and death. The exhibition of the work of Sandro Chia and Enzo Cucchi opens a debate on the holiness of art and establishes a dialogue with the ancient tradition of religious iconography. For Enzo Cucchi, the metaphor “Saint of the Marche” is entirely projected towards universal mysticism. His position is emblematic among those who see painting as an infernal and heavenly territory at the same time, capable of finding images which respond to a personal narcissism of materials and forms taken from the surrounding horizon, which for Cucchi is the prediction of life and death; because the artist feels himself a hero, a survivor in the history of painting, an excellent being. “I am clearly blessed by God”, he says. “Not that I have done anything to deserve it. That’s just how it is. Painting comes from me like a natural and divine emanation.” For Sandro Chia, the painting itself is a sacred place, origin of art directly engaged in an obsessive dialogue with its forces of disgregation and dilation. Art offers signs of interiority towards the unresolved scene of representation and the artist-sculptor raises the image against its own will because, ironically, the image possesses him from deep down. To further underline the mystic nature of the mosaic work, in creating it, the two artists took inspiration from the Holy Shroud, copying its proportions and splitting it preciously into two parts, one green and the other black. The green part asks the black part: What am I missing? What are you missing? The work called for various mosaic techniques and the use of skilled workers.’