The Artists’ Mass 2022 with its musicians, singers, painters, actors, takes place in Nice, at the Saint Pierre d’Arรจne church, this Wednesday at 6 PM.
On this occasion, an exceptional Stations of the Cross will be exhibited, created at the request of Fr. Gil Florini, while he was pastor of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The artists who participated: Arman, Baviera, Cartier, Eppele, Fahri, Folon, Franta, Jani, Nall, Patrix, Ritchie, Sosno, Tobiasse, Verdet, Vivier, Zivo.
According to a tradition dating back to 1926, this “mass” gathers once a year an audience of about 1,000 people. It is the 10th edition organized within the framework of the artists’ chaplaincy by Fr. Yves-Marie Lequin, with Odile and Franck Asparte for the musical program (orchestra and opera singing), assisted by musician Stรฉphane Eliot, and Bruno Gaspard and his Art Grocery for the visual artists exhibitors.
The theme for this year 2022 is “A new sky, a new earth”. This “world after” is conceived as one of voluntary poverty. In this spirit, the celebration will take a communal form, the church space is reimagined, artworks are placed directly on the ground. This theme was proposed by Steve Morphรฉe, who will participate with his entire workshop. This aligns with the wish of the recently deceased sculptor Patrick Schumacher.
According to tradition, the mass is that of Ash Wednesday, but envisioned as a total spectacle: classical music, cabaret show, circus, performances, video projections, and… religious celebration. Two significant moments: The long reading of the artists who passed away during the past year, read by Frรฉdรฉric Altmann and illuminated solely by candles lit by the audience, and the reception of ashes on the forehead.
The traditional prayer will be read by Olympia Alberti.
“We the artists, in the dark arena…”
A strange ceremony took place in Paris, on Wednesday, February 7, 1951, opposite the Louvre, in the church of Saint-Germain L’Auxerrois! On this first day of Lent, the future Saint John XXIII, then apostolic nuncio, blessed a large enigmatic inscription on one of the choir pillars.
It can still be read today, engraved directly into the stone in large letters:
“In this church, following the wish of Willette, realized by Pierre Regnault, the artists of Paris, in union with their comrades from around the world, have been coming since Ash Wednesday of the year 1926 to receive ashes and pray for those among them who must die in the year.”
