HE Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi and Andrzej Mochoń PhD. sign the agreement. In the photo from the left: Fr. Pralate  Lech Piechota PhD., Rev. professor  Tomasz Trafny and HE Bishop Marian Florczyk 

President Mochoń signed the agreement with the Pontifical Council for Culture.

The echoes of the Targi Kielce jubilee gala have not yet died away. This is when the artists from the region made their presentations in Warsaw. The exhibition and congress centre does not rest on laurels and takes up new activities to promote culture. This time Targi Kielce and the Pontifical Council for Culture join forces to work to for the benefit of art which combines artistic and spiritual values.

For 13 years the Kielce exhibition and congress centre  and the  Pontifical Council for  has supported and popularised spiritual art.  This week, in the Vatican the Targi Kielce President of Board Andrzej Mochoń PhD. and the President of the Council – Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi signed the agreement whose objective is to strengthen the existing cooperation.  The official agreement signing offers further motivation to promote  the Per Artem ad Deum Medal – Through Arts to God  idea.

– The agreement is the a culmination point in our activities designed to disseminate cultural and religious heritage.  This is the result of 13 years’ joint activities whose objective has been to promote spiritual values. The SACROEXPO is the most evident embodiment of this idea.   Thus we show that that our professional activity is not only guided with business goals – says Targi Kielce President Andrzej Mochoń.

Targi Kielce is the Organiser of the Europe-famous  International Exhibition of Church Construction, Church Fittings and Furnishings and Religious Art SACROEXPO.  The Pontifical Council for Culture Medal has been awarded at the expo; the Medal has been recognised as a very special distinction for artistic milieus whose works relate to sacrum and the Church.

The Per Artem Ad Deum initiative has advanced to the become Europe’s most important event for the sacred arts milieus.  Every year the ceremony attracts to Kielce outstanding artists from all over the world. These are the artists whose achievements contribute towards the development of culture and shapes the human spirituality – said Cardinal Ravasi.

Until now, the Per Artem Ad Deum Medal Chapter chaired by Rev.  Bishop Marian Florczyk has bestowed 21 distinctions.  The Medal fellowship includes  Wojciech Kilar, Leszek Mądzik, Krzysztof Zanussi, Ennio Morricone, Krzysztof Penderecki, Arvo Pärt et.al.

The upcoming Sacroexpo edition and the Per Artem Ad Deum medal awarding ceremony are held from 11 to 13 June 2018. Last year’s SACROEXPO edition was the showcase for 284 exhibitors from 13 countries. Almost 5,000 visitors attended the exhibition.

The gala awarding ceremony of the Pontifical Council for Culture’s Per Artem Ad Deum Medal presented by the Pontifical Council for Culture will be held within the scope of the International Exhibition of Church Construction, Church Fittings and Furnishings and Religious SACROEXPO.  The Medal has been presented for achievements  which largely contribute to the  promotion of dialogue between the diversity of cultures in the contemporary world and thus promote man as an individual. The Medal fellowship includes Ennio Morricone, Mario Botta, Krzysztof Zanussi, Wojciech Kilar and many other outstanding artists.

The Per Artem ad Deum Medal has been awarded for thirteen years at Targi Kielce staged gala ceremony.  The medal laureates are presented the distinction by the Chapter members and the church high-ranking dignitaries. The medal has been awarded since 2005; since then it has been recognised as a very special distinction for artistic milieus whose works relate to to spiritual life and the Church.  This year the Medal Chapter is chaired by HE Bishop Marian Florczyk. The Per Artem ad Deum Medal has been bestowed upon the three people who represent different fields of art and science:

SACROEXPO proudly presents Claudia Henzler as the 2017 winner of the prestigious art medal „Per Artem ad Deum“. The medal is a sign of acknowledgement from the Vatican for Claudia Henzlers „insightful and creative perception of man’s beauty, diversity and uniqueness“ which helps promote the dialogue of cultures through art.

Claudia Henzler is a renown photo artist and peace award winner who connects people of all backgrounds and cultures. Through photography, exhibitions and workshops she sets impulses to open communication, broaden horizons and deepen mutual appreciation and understanding.
Born in Heidelberg, Germany, and having traveled to over 50 countries, she presently lives in Salzburg, Austria, from where she takes on assignments in Europe and around the globe. www.henzlerworks.com

In recognition of “a constant struggle with questions of great magnitude which help to understand the universe essence” – the Medal is presented to Professor  Michał Kazimierz Heller – a Catholic priest, theologian and professor of theology is presented the Medal. Professor Heller specialises in  natural philosophy and physics, his scientific  interests include the science and faith relations. In recognition of his achievements, Professor Heller was awarded the Templeton Prize. Fr Heller is employed at the Vatican Observatory. He is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

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The Pontifical Council Medal is also presented to the Czech Catholic priest, philosopher, psychologist and theologian – Tomas Halik “for the testimony truest faith demonstrated in the world perception through people’s eyes”. The Chapter’s justification reads that Fr Halik is recognised for his involvement in social life, for his public statements on racial discrimination issues. He has also worked as an addiction therapist with alcohol and drug addicts. Until 1989, he had been an important figure at the Czech Catholic Church’s anti-communist underground.

2016’s Per Artem ad Deum gala awarding ceremony

The Per Artem ad Deum laureate presented at the Sacroexpo is the “church without borders” creator

“This is a church without walls; these days this church will include and encompass the whole world” – Stanisław Niemczyk, the architect spoke about World Youth Day altars designs for Blonie and Brzegi. This is a great honour for an artist to become engaged and involved in WYD through his artistic work.

In 2011 Stanisław Niemczyk
by the resolution of the Pontifical Council for Culture’s Medal Chapter was awarded the Per Artem ad Deum Medal. The artist is called “Polish Gaudi”. Mr Niemczyk is the creator of most significant churches. He has also been awarded the Honorary Award of SARP,  Pope John Paul II’s award – Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. The two, most famous projects are the churches dedicated to Jesus Christ the Redeemer in Czechowice (1995-1998 – one of the Polish architecture icons) and the tent-shaped church of the Holy Spirit in Tychy (1979-1983). Since 2000 yet another extraordinary Niemczyk’s design has been executed  – the Franciscan monastery and church ensemble.