Saronno, an exhibition on revisitations of Leonardo's Last Supper, from Andy Warhol to Spoerri

A journey between art, faith and pop culture: this is what Cenacoli proposes . From Andrea da Saronno to Andy Warhol, the exhibition organized by the City of Saronno and the Flangini Association on the occasion of Jubilee 2025. The exhibition, curated by art critic and historian Antonio d’Avossa, will be on view from April 13 to May 25 and will trace the theme of The Last Supper through works from different eras and languages. The choice of The Last Supper as the centerpiece of the exhibition stems from its universal symbolic value. It is one of the most powerful images in the Christian tradition, but also one of the most reinterpreted in the history of art. The aim of the exhibition is therefore to tell how this iconography has been reworked over time until it has become an element of pop language.

The exhibition path brings into dialogue eighteenth- and nineteenth-century engravings, masterpieces of modern and contemporary art, pop objects and photographs, in a narrative that ranges from the Christian tradition to conceptual art and the language of advertising. Among the exhibition’s protagonists are the likes of Joseph Beuys, David LaChapelle, Andy Warhol, Hermann Nitsch and Daniel Spoerri, flanked by historical works, such as the 16th-century wooden Last Supper housed in the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Miracles and engravings from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. The Last Supper is an icon that spans centuries and cultures, and it was precisely this transversality that inspired the exhibition concept. The theme, closely linked to the Jubilee, recalls the concepts of reconciliation and spiritual renewal, but it also opens to a reflection on the role of the sacred image in contemporary art.

The exhibition itinerary: from tradition to pop

The exhibition takes place in several venues, with works exploring the theme of The Last Supper in new and surprising forms. The journey begins at the Spazio Art Café, where eighteenth- and nineteenth-century engravings granted by the Brera Academy will be on display, and continues to the Sala Nevera of Casa Morandi, the heart of the exhibition, which will feature modern and contemporary artworks, installations and films.

A particularly curious aspect is the inclusion of pop objects from China, Russia and the United States: T-shirts, skateboards, watches and even smartphone covers, all decorated with the iconography of the Last Supper, testify to the persistence of this image in the world of mass culture. Another striking section is devoted to fifty photographs of cenacles tattooed on human bodies, a sign of how this iconography continues to exert a deep fascination even outside the religious context. Expanding the exhibition are two prestigious city venues: the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Miracles, which houses the 16th-century wooden Last Supper by Andrea da Saronno and Alberto da Lodi, and the G. Gianetti, where Ugo La Pietra’s The Last Supper, an installation reflecting on the value of ceramics as a medium capable of preserving and handing down collective memory, will be on display.

Big names in art on display

The list of artists involved is exceptionally rich and varied. Alongside old masters of printmaking such as Raffaello Morghen, Andrea Solario and Rudolf Stang, there are names of the contemporary world such as David LaChapelle, known for his photographic reinterpretations of the sacred tradition, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition also features works by Hermann Nitsch, an exponent of Viennese Actionism; Daniel Spoerri, a pioneer of Nouveau Réalisme; and Joseph Beuys, who tackled the theme of spirituality with a conceptual approach. Alongside them, artists such as Barbara Fässler, Jacob Frey, Fabrizio Garghetti and Wolf Vostell offer a reflection on the power of the sacred image in the age of mass communication. There is no shortage of Japan’s Tomoko Nagao, with her celebrated micropop reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece.

Side events, meetings and initiatives

The exhibition will be enhanced by a calendar of side events. On Saturday, March 15, at the Aldo Moro Auditorium, journalist and writer Luca Frigerio will give a lecture on Leonardo’s Last Supper, a masterpiece of masterpieces, dedicated to Leonardo’s work and its influences in the history of art.On April 1, on the other hand, the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Miracles will host Tra chiese e cenacoli. Pilgrims of Hope on the Path of Beauty, a meeting that interweaves art and spirituality, organized by the Youth Pastoral of the Diocese of Milan.A special event is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, the opening day of the exhibition: from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Sala Nevera, Poste Italiane will make an exclusive philatelic cancellation dedicated to the exhibition.

In addition, guided tours, educational workshops and tours for high schools will be organized, with the possibility for students to become young cicerones of the exhibition. Special attention will be paid to accessibility, thanks to the use of special lenses for the visually impaired provided by the Flangini Volunteer Organization. Parallel to the main exhibition, the Cloister Art & Archives will host Objects in an Interior. The Dimension of the Sacred in Francesco De Rocchi and Gianfranco Ferroni, an exhibition curated by Giada Bulgari that explores the theme of spirituality through the paintings of the two artists. Promoted by the City of Saronno in collaboration with the Flangini Association, the exhibition boasts the patronage of the Lombardy Region, the Province of Varese and the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. The official catalog will be published by Silvana Editoriale.

Saronno, an exhibition on revisitations of Leonardo's Last Supper, from Andy Warhol to Spoerri

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