The former monastery of Sant’Orsola is home to a new art installation by Czech artist Vaclav Pisvejc, continuing the efforts to relaunch the space as a center of community life.
The hand-crafted piece spells out the name of the monastery in neon lights in the shape of musical notes, a reference to the plans to transform part of the complex into the Bocelli Academy Music School. Pisvejc opted for neon because, as he says, “it’s a material that still today is blown by craftsmen,” which the artist wanted to honour.
Regarding the choice to spell out the monastery’s name, the reason is simple: to rescue the space from oblivion, where it has been sitting, unidentifiable to outsiders, for years. Indeed, plans have been underway for some time to renovate the space, known since 2012, when the possible tomb of Lisa Gherardini, better known as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, was found in the complex.
In addition to the Music Academy, proposals have been made for creating a Mona Lisa Museum, a wine loft and music stage, a “creativity school” and an incubator, among other things.
