Piotr Kowalczuk – Rome
Photos by outstanding Polish photographers
These are 12 photographs, works by eight Polish photographers, including Wojciech Grzędziński, Marek Berezowski, Maciek Nabrdalik, and Jędrzej Nowicki. The moving photos, depicting victims of this war, ruins, wartime reality in metro stations turned into shelters, a woman in a blooming meadow with a mine detector, or a crowd of desperate Ukrainian refugees at the border crossing in Medyka, are accompanied by poignant descriptions by Magdalena Rigamonti in three languages.
Prompts prayer for peace
The exhibition was opened by the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal James Michael Harvey: “Each of these photographs tells of the struggle for freedom and the trampling of the dignity of men, women, and children”. He added that this exhibition has gained immense recognition from the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who said that it helps to realize the tragedy of war, awakens compassion in people, opens hearts, and prompts prayer for peace and hope.
To show the drama of people during wartime
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See emphasized in his speech that this is not an ordinary exhibition or artistic event: “It is living proof of the existence of special, deep historical, civilizational, and spiritual ties between Poland and Ukraine”.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Vatican, Adam Kwiatkowski, told Vatican News that the most important thing was for the exhibition, which shows the truth about the horror of war, to reach as many people as possible. He expressed joy that the efforts of Polish and Ukrainian diplomats had been successful.
He pointed out that St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica is one of the most visited, incredibly important religious sites in Rome. At the same time, it is an extraterritorial property of the Vatican.
First an exhibition, then a book
Jarosław Włodarczyk from Press Club Polska: “A year and a half ago, the current curator of the exhibition, Ewa Meissner, came to us with the information that the largest group of foreign war correspondents in Ukraine are Polish photojournalists. And we decided to do something about it. The idea arose to create a book, but first to organize an exhibition.”
The Basilica as a special place
Magdalena Rigamonti, author of the moving photo descriptions, points out that the Papal Basilica is not only a center of Christianity. It is also an incredibly important political center where the paths of very important and influential people often cross. “Therefore, it was very important to us that the story of the harm done to the Ukrainian nation, the murders, rapes, and kidnapping of children, reach here, to this center of world governance, to the Vatican. That is why I am incredibly proud that this exhibition has come to the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.”
Cardinal Harvey assured that the basilica will host the exhibition by Polish photographers certainly until the end of May.
