The Miracle of Guadalupe
9.4.–10.8.2014
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of Mexico. Legend has it that in December 1531, a Black Madonna appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Native American. For centuries now, this appearance of Our Lady to a native son has provided a bridge between traditional beliefs and Catholicism in Mexico.
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared as the old world converged with the new. The Spanish had conquered Mexico, and as a consequence the native people were suffering from disease, hunger and violence. The appearance of Our Lady was a miracle. By linking the past to the future it gave people hope for a better tomorrow.
At the end of 2010 and into early 2011, Academy of Finland-sponsored researcher Outi Fingerroos, photographer Matleena Jänis, and artist Minna Parkkinen all travelled in Mexico. They gathered stories of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the form of photographs and interviews wherever they came across her image – in the streets, in churches, in parks and at bus stops.
From the miracle of Guadalupe has grown this exhibition of art, a field trip of ethnology, and a travelogue. Through everyday stories, Our Lady of Guadalupe takes her place and comes to life anew.
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- Guadalupen ihme
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- Mexico Cityn Tepeyacin kukkulalle rakennettu roomalaiskatolinen kirkko, Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, täyttyy juhlapyhinä tuhansista parhaimmillaan miljoonista pyhiinvaeltajista. Moni kantaa mukana omaa Guadalupeaan, joka siunataan pyhällä vedellä. Jokainen guadalupaano haluaa käydä Tepeyacissa edes kerran elämässään. Juhlapyhinä basilikalle saatetaan kävellä satojakin kilometrejä. Kuvassa Viviana.
