Adrian Paci stages secret Easter ritual in Modica during lockdown

During Italy's second Easter lockdown, Albanian artist Adrian Paci reenacted the traditional Sicilian 'U'ncuontru' ritual in Modica on the night of April 3-4, 2021. The ritual, which normally takes place on Easter Sunday at noon in Piazza Monumento, involves the statues of the Risen Christ and the Virgin Mary meeting and the Virgin giving a kiss ('vasata') to Christ. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the public celebration was canceled. Paci, who had witnessed the ritual before, organized a private, nocturnal version with the support of the bishop, the parish priest, and the Modica administration. Only members of the statue bearers' association participated. The gallery Laveronica Arte Contemporanea, founded in 2007 by Corrado Gugliotta, announced the event via a Facebook post and released a single silent image. The performance is a continuation of Paci's 2011 work 'The Encounter' in Scicli. Until July 31, 2021, Laveronica will host the exhibition 'The Encounter' featuring video and photos from that earlier performance.