Carlo Rapp, The angel of measure
From 29 January 2022 to 20 March 2022
Place: Cathedral of Biella
Address: Piazza Duomo
Telephone for information: +39 349 7252121
E-Mail info: info.bibox@gmail.com
The project Let there be light. A journey between art and spiritualitycurated by Irene Finiguerra for the Parish of Santo Stefano, opens 2022 with an exhibition in the Cathedral of Biella dedicated to Carlo Rapp on the first anniversary of his death, which occurred early last year. Until March 20, 2022 a selection of works by the artist will be visible, also famous for having created the stained glass windows in the chapel in the Porta Nuova station and the bronze sculptures of the parish of Jesus the Redeemer in Turin. The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings and the cardboard-project of a stained glass window and will be inaugurated on Saturday 29 January at 4 pm with a presentation by Don Carlo Dezzuto, interspersed with musical interventions with pieces by JS Bach performed on the organ by Giovanni Panzeca.
The exhibition. In the Duomo, sacred-themed works were privileged and among these in particular the study for the stained glass window made in the church of the Sacred Heart in Mariano Comense, near Como. The subject of the cartoon (215 x 215 cm) is The angel of measure, represented with a golden reed in his hand as a symbol of the fact that God has redesigned the celestial city, the new Jerusalem, according to his “measure”. Of great interest the ink drawings on paper in small format which are the sketches for the Via Crucis of the New Church of Pavignanoa few minutes from Biella, for which Carlo Rapp has created many works in collaboration with the architect Nicola Mosso. Some photographs taken at Rapp will also be exhibited in the preparation phase of the Via Crucis, together with theimages of the works placed inside the church: in this way it will be possible to compare with the sketches, which Rapp has not always kept faith in the realization of the definitive work. The exhibition was created thanks to the loan of the works by private individuals, the municipality of Vignone and the Sella Foundation.
The artist. Born in Intra in 1932 from a family of Alsatian origins, Carlo Rapp he is considered Biella by adoption: a multifaceted artist, he was a painter, engraver, sculptor, set designer, author of stained glass windows and bells. In addition to Biella, he was also very attached to the Verbano area, to the lake, where he made several artistic interventions. Active in the art world, he had over time befriended figures such as Piero Chiara, Vittorio Sereni and Gianandrea Gavazzeni.
As a sculptor, except for some bronze works, he favored stone and marble, as can be seen by admiring the sculptures in the Duomo. During his long stays in the Middle East in the early 1950s, he frescoed the Kuwait cathedral. As a set designer he collaborated for ten years with the Teatro Regio in Turin for the opera and ballet scenes. Throughout his career, he has won national competitions, including the Bologna Biennale in 1958.
Upcoming appointments with Sia Luce.
– The second meeting of the cycle By becoming similar to menby title The first Trinitarian Theophany. The Baptism of Christ in artis expected online Thursday 27 January 2022 at 9 pm; the link for the connection to the Zoom platform will be available before the starting time on the social channels of the Parish of Santo Stefano di Biella.
– With the aim of enhancing the artistic and historical heritage of the New Parish Church of Pavignano Saturday 2 April 2022 at 3 pm don Carlo Dezzuto will guide visitors to discover the church itself and the works of Carlo Rapp. For info and reservations: 392 5166749