ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Claudio Parmiggiani Creates Altar and Ambo for Gallarate Basilica

exhibition · 2026-05-04

Claudio Parmiggiani, a major international artist born in Luzzara in 1943, has designed a new altar and ambo for the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Gallarate. The project was commissioned by the Church in collaboration with the MA*GA Museum, thanks to benefactor Franco Moggio and organized by Provost Mons. Ivano Valagussa. The altar is made of white onyx, a light-transparent material, and features a multitude of male and female faces, both pagan and Christian, referencing classical imagery and the history of the Church. The ambo is a simpler parallelepiped in labradorite stone, chosen for its metallic, blue, and gold reflections. Parmiggiani previously created sacred works, including the Porta Speciosa for Camaldoli in 2013 and a work for AMEI in memory of Don Puglisi in 2016. The initiative is complemented at the MA*GA Museum until February 24, 2019, with a video documentation of Parmiggiani's works and the exhibition "Moltiplicazioni" by Armin Linke, featuring photographs exploring the symbolism of the altar in pastoral community life. Emma Zanella, director of MA*GA, notes that Linke's work reflects on the relationship between spiritual and artistic research, using photography as a collaborative, non-static practice.

Key facts

  • Claudio Parmiggiani designed a new altar and ambo for the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Gallarate.
  • The project was commissioned by the Church in collaboration with the MA*GA Museum.
  • Benefactor Franco Moggio and Provost Mons. Ivano Valagussa organized the commission.
  • The altar is made of white onyx and features a multitude of faces (male, female, pagan, Christian).
  • The ambo is a parallelepiped in labradorite stone with metallic, blue, and gold reflections.
  • Parmiggiani previously created the Porta Speciosa for Camaldoli in 2013.
  • In 2016, he created a work for AMEI in memory of Don Puglisi.
  • The MA*GA Museum presents videos of Parmiggiani's works and Armin Linke's exhibition 'Moltiplicazioni' until February 24, 2019.

Entities

Artists

  • Claudio Parmiggiani
  • Armin Linke

Institutions

  • Museo MA*GA
  • AMEI (Associazione Musei Ecclesiastici Italiani)
  • Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta di Gallarate

Locations

  • Gallarate
  • Italy
  • Luzzara
  • Camaldoli

Sources