Lugano
The Royal Palace of Monza hosts the exhibition UR-RA – Unity of Religions – Responsibility of Art by Michelangelo Pistoletto, a leading figure of Arte Povera and a central protagonist of the international contemporary art scene. The exhibition is founded on a clear and ambitious premise: to entrust art with the task of fostering dialogue among different religions and cultures, revealing shared values and points of convergence. At the core of the project lies Pistoletto’s practice, one of the most influential voices in Italian contemporary art, internationally renowned for iconic works such as Venus of the Rags and the symbol of the Third Paradise.
UR-RA is not conceived merely as a presentation of artworks and installations, but as an immersive experience that addresses themes of peace, coexistence, and mutual respect. Open to a broad and diverse audience, the exhibition invites reflection and participation, encouraging visitors to feel part of a wider collective through the universal language of art.
The exhibition opens with a selection of the artist’s earliest works on canvas, dating from 1957, and continues through to more recent pieces in which spiritual concerns are explicitly articulated. In the Forecourt, the Flags of Religions guide visitors toward the beginning of the exhibition proper, which unfolds in the octagonal Hall of the Guards with The Stone of Infinity and Interreligious Table for Preventive Peace, a reworking of the Cubic Meter of Infinity and part of the group of works known as Minus Objects (1965–1966). The route then continues through the rooms of the Piano Nobile, where further emblematic works are presented, including The Priest, Temple, Annunciation, The Trumpets of Judgment, Swinging Temple, The Rotation of the Mirror, The Trinamical Code, and Spiritual Arch. The exhibition culminates in the Royal Gardens, which host a new Third Paradise composed of one hundred benches made entirely from recycled and recyclable materials.