Emmy Asakura
'Laigueglia' refers to the Italian medieval city of the same name in Liguria, where each year, since the 16th century a procession is organized in honor of Mary Magdalene. At dusk, a sloop brings ashore her statue, which is welcomed by a traditional double rank honor guard of monumental crucifixes on the pier. The procession then marches through the narrow streets of the city while praying, until it reaches the impressive church of Saint Matthew located on the hill. All seaside cities of the provinces of Imperia and Savona take part in the parade, which is supposed to bring good fortune to all local fishermen and inhabitants of the coastal communities.
In the summer of 2019, at the Gasthuiskapel in Borgloon, originally dedicated to Mary, Emmy Asakura created an “in situ” art project, using the meanwhile desecrated chapel as the perfect location for her exhibit 'Longing for your Blue Embrace', in which she explores the female stereotype and the figure of Holy Virgin. For this project, and flowing naturally from her earlier work, the artist has created a new series of paintings in which blue literally is the principal color. The painting 'Laigueglia' (2019) was part of this series.
Exhibitions
Site-specific Art Project 'Longing for your Blue Embrace' by Emmy Asakura, Graethem Chapel, Borgloon, Belgium, 15-25 August 2019