Bucucaţi-va! (Rejoice, and be exceeding glad!) 2023
This was the first exhibition of The Cat Caravan Project, an artistic initiative founded by Natalia Parfenova and Arturo de Ita. The project takes its title from a quote of the Sermon of the Mount as it appears in the Gospel of Saint Matthew:
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”.
Two series of silver prints transformed into religious icons were displayed in this show. The collages make use of Biblical symbols to announce the ultimate triumph of Wildlife upon Humanity. Here, cats become a symbol of martyred Nature: as the sacrificial lamb they prevail and remain unabated in their purity, tenderness and grace, despite being the subjects of prejudice, disdain, hatred and violence.
This project was exhibited at the National Museum of History of Moldova in March 2023 and later at the Museum Zemstvei in Chisinau during October 2023.