Church of Saint Barbara

The new parish complex of Saint Barbara in Licata was conceived as a village whose shape is inspired by the figurative architecture of the Licata mining settlements.

A church that proposed the sense of simplicity, which did not follow the forms of generic modernity, certainly not appropriate in a context such as the one to be erected by the new parish complex. A non-metropolitan urban context, a small suburban rural center.

The complex is proposed as a residential settlement.

The Great Explosion is an artistic installation that integrates with the architecture of the church and ends up being part of it. It is a work dedicated to Santa Barbara and is inspired by one of the events that believers associate with the Saint. But it is also identifiable a piece of constellation, a portion of big bang, a part of the origin, of revelation.

We wanted to give to this artistic installation a leading role in the whole religious complex. The reference to the mine in the Licata area had an important role for all the inhabitants. But the frozen deflagration represents a constant revelation, a constant suspension of judgment. The explosion is the representation of the constant precariousness of human existence and at the same time the representation of divine power.

CREDITS

LOCATION: Licata, Italy  -  CLIENT: Diocesi Agrigento  -  DESIGN TEAM: Ignazio Lo Manto with Andrea Casano, Pierluigi Turco, Saverio Milici  -  LITURGIST: Domenico Messina  -  ARTIST: Enzo Venezia