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Museo Nazionale Romano - Palazzo Altemps, Pantheon and streets of Rome, Italy. 2012
I walked the streets of Rome dressed in a white nun’s habit, like this I entered various historical sites and museums. First Museo Nazionale Romano which holds a wonderful collection of Greek and Roman sculpture. Here I proceeded to photograph mainly nude sculptures while I was filmed by my cameraman. The sculptures were ready to pose for me, sensuous Dionysius, proud Hera, sexy Aphrodite, warriors and emperors all seemed so alive. The contrast between my closed nuns habit made their open nudity become even more evident and people in the museum were very curious about a nun interested in art.
I walked to the Pantheon were I stood in front of the building motionless for about 10 minutes then entered and proceeded to stand in the center of the space raising my head to stare at the light coming through the open cupola. It was like staring into the eye of God. I found myself entering an enhanced spiritual state, were I became very present, a feeling of warmth and joy took hold of me. I had a very powerful esthetic experience and felt that many of the people that were observing me were also experiencing this. They saw a young nun: a representation of purity and kindness, a faithful servant of God standing in this holy beautiful place, a gift. Flashes started going off and despite the amount of people inside the Pantheon the space around me was left empty.
The moment was interrupted by a priest that tapped me on the shoulder to ask me where I was from and what order I belonged to...I hadn’t really thought of it..so all I could say was, “I’m from Mexico, I’m visiting Rome and I am... Teresiana” quick reference to St. Teresa de Jesus. When I stepped outside my feet seemed not to touch the ground.
*I researched later and found that the “Teresianas” are not a religious order.