14 artists from all over the world are involved in the exhibition "In the footsteps of Francis of Assisi". The life of the Saint told through 12 sculptures. The sand nativity scene will be inaugurated on Saturday 2 December 2023 at 6 pm.
The new Jesolo Sand Nativity will begin to take shape Monday 6 November. Starting from that day, in fact, the sand artists called to involve visitors to the famous sand nativity scene will begin their work of sculpting by removal. In recent days, work began on setting up the tensile structure which will be the home of their sculptures for two months until February 4 and on the transport of the sand to be modelled, mostly coming from the nearby Piazza Brescia where had taken the form of sculptures dedicated to contemporary art. In these hours, the formwork containing the sand has been installed and the compaction phase has begun, which will be followed by sculpting until Sunday 19 November.
This year too, as has happened since 2004, the event is associated with various beneficial projects. The generosity of the visitors raises resources every year which are donated to associations with humanitarian purposes. To date, more than 900,000 euros have been collected and donated to humanitarian projects around the world.
The 21st edition of Jesolo Sand Nativity takes on the title of “In the footsteps of Francis of Assisi”, a journey that will tell the life of St. Francis of Assisi through 12 key episodes precisely 800 years after the creation by the "poor man of Assisi" of the first nativity scene in history in Greccio. These moments will be represented by 14 artists from all over the world, professional sculptors coordinated by the new artistic director of the event, the Canadian David Ducharme, and thanks to the precious collaboration of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi.
Below is the cast and titles of the works of the 21st edition of Jesolo Sand Nativity:
- David Ducharme (Canada): artistic director
- Preaching to the Birds: Hanneke Supply (Belgium)
- Leper's Kiss: Pedro Mira (Portugal)
- Prayer in front of the crucifix of San Damiano: Jakub Zimacek “Kuba Libre” (Czech Republic)
- Rule approval: Baldrick Richard Buckle (Netherlands)
- Spoliation in front of the Bishop and renunciation of paternal assets: Ilya Filimontsev (Russia)
- Francis by the Sultan: Dmitrii Klimenko (Russia)
- Francesco plays an improvised viola: Michela Ciappini (Italy)
- Francis and the encounter with the wolf: Susanne Ruseler (Netherlands)
- Francis receives the stigmata: David Enguerrand (Belgium)
- The angels play for him: Helena Bangert (Netherlands)
- Chiara and her sisters mourn over Francis' body: Marielle Heessels (Netherlands)
- Nativity: Radek Zivny (Czech Republic), Slava Borecki (Ukraine), Vadim Gryadov (Russia)
Dates and data:
- Inauguration Saturday 2 December at 6.00 pm
- Exhibition period: from 3 December 2023 to 4 February 2024
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am/12.30pm – 2.30pm/7.30pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays all day 9.30am/7.30pm
- From 23 December to 7 January open all day from 9.30am to 7.30pm
- Free entry
- No architectural barriers
- Only small pets are allowed inside the exhibition and must be kept on a leash and in your arms
- 750 square meters of exhibition area, 1000 cubic meters (approximately 1500 tons) of sand used
- Sculptors at work from 6 to 19 November
- Over 1 million and 600,000 visitors since the first edition
