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| Koinè 2015 in Fiera di Vicenza  The 16th edition of Koinè, international expo of furnishings, liturgical objects and components for worship space construction, scheduled from 18 to 21 April 2015 at the Fiera di Vicenza, will be dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council with the promulgation of the Pastoral Constitution "Gaudium et Spes" on the Church in the modern world. The fair, benefitting from the active collaboration and sponsorship of the Diocese of Vicenza, the National Office for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and the National Service for Worship Space Construction of the Italian Bishops Conference has become the most important international appointment in the sector. Since the very first edition, Koinè has accompanied the exhibition of products with a vast and well-organized section dedicated to research in order to offer the production world a contribution of ideas and innovative proposals in harmony with the guidelines expressed by Vatican II.The coming edition will feature the participation of more than 300 companies from Italy and 20 other countries, expressing both "Made in Italy" and international manufacturing excellence. These companies will bring to life Pavilions 1, 2 and 7 at the Fiera di Vicenza with over 22, 000 m2 of display surface area. The Koinè exhibition area will be subdivided into two sections. The products present in the "Church & Liturgy" sector (Pav. 7) concern furnishings, ornaments, liturgical garb, stained glass, mosaics and statuary, as well as a wide range of high-tech products for sound systems and heating and lighting of worship spaces. The section titled "Faith & Devotion" (Pav. 1 and 2), on the other hand, will unite the most important producers (not only Italian) of devotional objects and articles (statuettes, holy cards, rosaries, pictures, icons, gadgets, etc.) During the four days of the event, a vast audience of professionals – clergy, liturgists, suppliers, architects, designers, artists and artisans, and diocesan directors – will fill the exhibition pavilions, interested in the latest in the sector, training opportunities, and discovering what the exhibitors have to offer. At present, Koinè represents the only European exhibit founded to heighten awareness among those in the production sector of the indications expressed by the Council and in successive documents, among which the pastoral notes of the Italian Bishops Conference on the planning of new churches and the liturgical adaptation of old ones. The activity of research and reflection promoted by Koinè over its various editions (documented in the volume produced for the twentieth anniversary of the Event) refuses to be merely a "cultural endowment" of the Fair, seeing that it has born particularly rich fruit, developing a never-before attempted dialogue between the world of scholars and the production world. Since the Council, it has become common knowledge that, independently of the period in which a church was built, the guiding principle should be that of bringing to life the liturgical space in the here and now, choosing objects and vestments that are a sign of our times. The exhibits of Koinè Research at the coming edition will center on important themes such as "Contemporary artistic stained glass for churches", placing the production of some of Europe's most important atelier in conversation; and "The chasuble: the international production scene", a theme discussed repeatedly over the years, to offer the market proposals in harmony with conciliar guidelines. For the first time devotional objects will be revisited: the exhibit "Artistic Holy Cards: contemporary interpretations for devotional images" will see the collaboration of young artists with the most important producers in the field to renew repertoires still tied to the traditional iconography of saint images. As concerns the Study Days, two important technical seminars have been organized: the first pertaining to "The aspect of climate control in churches and parish complexes" and the problems related to the construction of numerous churches in suburban areas in the 1970's; the second, on the other hand, concerns the awaited development of the research of the National Service for the Construction of Worship Space of the Italian Bishops Conference on "Scheduled maintenance of churches and parish complexes". The central theme of the study days is that of "Noble Simplicity" which the Magisterium of the Church has often recalled ever since the principle was enunciated by the conciliar Constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium" on the sacred liturgy. A daylong convention will be dedicated to the theme, seeking to stimulate reflection on the character and styles that inspire liturgical furnishings, objects and vestments. The exchange of views to which architects, liturgists, designers and artists are invited involves the production world as well, encouraging it to produce plans that are more sober yet not banal, adhering to the function they are destined to perform today in the context of the celebration. Two important events in the city round out the rich schedule of initiatives at Koinè 2015. With the active participation of the Diocese of Vicenza, these two events will allow the general public to approach some of the topics considered in the exhibits and conventions organized at the fair. The Diocesan Museum will host an exhibit dedicated to liturgical vestments (the chasuble) characterized by sobriety and the search for quality. The display will be composed of a selection of chasubles made by European atelier and an historical section with a collection of chasubles established by the Bishop Rodolfi around the 1920's. The Cathedral of Vicenza will transform into a stimulating church-workshop: for the occasion, it will be fitted with textile and floral decorations typical of the Easter season, the liturgical season during the Fair. This installation seeks to stimulate priests and parish communities to make their churches more welcoming. With this rich array of proposals from the production world and the intense schedule of exhibits, meetings and conventions, Koinè can once again be hailed as the most important international appointment of the sector. Find all the information on the event website write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Construction News :: home page |