SZ CHAPEL 2015

Saul Zanolari made this digital artwork called SZ CHAPEL. It presents us with a cross-section of an architectural structure filled with human figures in various states of activity and repose. The work raises questions about public and private space, and how we define 'sacred' spaces within contemporary culture. The image creates meaning through its architectural setting which resembles a high Renaissance or Baroque chapel in its layout and design. Zanolari comes from Argentina, a country whose cultural history is steeped in European religious traditions. The chapel's inhabitants reference classical sculpture and painting. Are these people in heaven or hell? What is the nature of their confinement? Is it a psychological state? To understand this artwork, we might research the visual vocabulary of religious art. We could explore architectural theory and the function of religious buildings in society. Ultimately, the meaning of this artwork is contingent on the ways it challenges, or reinforces, our understanding of religious and institutional spaces.