430. Made in Sarmede Exhibition

Posted by Eva Ulian April 21, 2015

430. Made in Sarmede Exhibition

We all know how difficult it is for culture to attract the crowds and most often than not we find a few groups of elites talking among themselves with the usual un-resonating phrases of circumstance to convince themselves that culture really counts. But to the crowds this is not so, culture at the most means etchings on toilet doors, if it is to count at all.

The Mayor and Alderman to the Arts

The title of this exhibition in itself seems to have no connotation with philosophical adornment conceived by minds pontificating from ivory towers, for it contains the word “Made” and people in ivory towers do not “make” things, that’s far too sacrilegious for them but they “create”, “perceive”, “conceive” and other similar abstractions.

And of course... Music

But the happy choice of “Made in Sarmede” is truly appropriate to the way of thinking of how these 26 artists from this tiny village at the foot of the Pre-Alps approached the matter and consequently did not attract the usual exclusive group of “literati”, but the crowds, the common people- old, young, rich, poor, scholars or farmers they were all drawn together to feast their eyes upon images or crafts “MADE” IN SARMEDE.

With enthusiasm...

So am I saying that in order to attract, an object must serve a purpose, be useful? Of course not, for that is not how beauty works. If we enslave beauty to usefulness then we limit the nature of beauty which is to give respite to a world conditioned by the functional and let man breathe the freshness of a world that allows him the freedom to explore feelings and emotions that touch his very soul- for that is what art allied with beauty permits the human being to perceive.

In other words, in order for the world of art to have meaning to all beings and not just a select few it must become accessible and do what Pope Francis has done with the world of religion- brought God down to earth: in the same manner, culturists should bring the world of art to stand on people’s own doorstep.