Francesco Somaini, il premio alla Biennale dell'Antoniano e alcune considerazioni sull'attualità dell'arte sacra in Italia negli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta

The awarding of Francesco Somaini at the 8th Biennale di Arte Sacra Contemporanea at the Antoniano di Bologna in 1968 serves as an intriguing lens through which to examine the ongoing discourse regarding the relevance of sacred art in contemporary Italian society following the Second Vatican Council. This article traces the threads of the texts published for the occasion, alongside a concise selection of prior writings, to outline several cases that help define the Church's stance on the potential for non-figurative Christian art. In doing so, it attempts to revive a cultural dialogue that has been complicated by the emergence of new artistic languages in the contemporary world.