The Touch that unites the world: with “Beyond the Sign,” the expressive universe of Braille breaks down sensory barriers, forging a deep connection between memory, perception, and spirituality. It is the Soncino-based artist Aldo Gallina, known by his stage name JONA, who joyfully accepted the invitation to participate in the exhibition organized by the Leonardo Association of Soncino
In the intimate, spiritually charged twilight of the deconsecrated church of Santo Spirito and Santa Maddalena in Crema, the geometric space sheds its rigid architecture to transform into a conceptual threshold. We are no longer facing a simple place of worship, but rather within a vibrant field of resonance where historical memory engages openly with the contemporary.
It is in this suspended dimension that Jona’s artistic poetics finds its most authentic expression, inviting the visitor on a journey that upends the canons of visual perception to arrive at an unprecedented sensory grammar.
The group exhibition “Oltre il Segno – Shared Exhibition,” organized by the Leonardo Association of Soncino and open to the public from May 30 to June 14, 2026, features Aldo Gallina, known by his artist name Jona, exhibiting alongside artists Alessia Gatti and Erica Ziglioli.
The exhibition stems from the convergence of three distinct artistic languages, united by a shared desire to explore a dimension that speaks to inclusion, memory, and identity.
Jona’s installation stands out for its timeless power, finding its symbolic center in the monumental work titled CRISTO.
The work is not a traditional crucifix tied to classical iconography, but rather a living, sculptural, and tangible presence, conceived specifically to foster an intimate, profound encounter free from intellectual mediation.
In the sculptural universe of Jona, matter ceases to be a mere inert medium and becomes an autonomous language. At the heart of this metamorphosis lies Braille, which runs through the entire body of the work, taking the form of a true script, accessible not only to the eye but above all to the touch. Through this radical gesture, the artist programmatically dissolves the historical boundaries between the one who sees and the one who perceives, transforming the aesthetic act from passive, detached consumption into a shared inner experience.
“When I use Braille in my works, I do not consider it a mere aesthetic or decorative element. It is a bridge. A way to break down the distance between people. I am interested in creating inclusive art, capable of speaking to both those who see and those who perceive the world through touch. I believe that physical contact with the work restores a more human and spiritual dimension to the artistic experience.”
The cross in Braille thus becomes the manifesto of an ethical and aesthetic journey. The CHRIST, whom the artist shapes, does not intend to impose specific dogmas or religious beliefs, but offers itself as a universal archetype of fragility, pain, rebirth, and hope.
An invitation to reflect on the human condition and the fundamental need for empathy, aimed at the necessity of reconnecting with one another in an era of profound social fragmentation. Surrounding the majesty of CHRIST, the other Braille works on display in the Crema nave expand and deepen this refined semiotic exploration.
Each individual work presents itself to the observer as part of a much broader dialogue centered on the real possibility of restoring a global dimension to contemporary art. The concept of the sacred thus emerges from liturgical tradition to become a direct, intimate experience fully accessible to anyone.
But the artist’s complex anthropological inquiry does not end within the walls of the exhibition space in Crema. On the contrary, his work over many years has distinguished itself on the international scene for its exploration of a second, crucial thematic direction: that linked to ecology, sustainability and the antithetical relationship between human beings, mass consumption, and environmental protection.
From a collaboration entirely based in Soncino between the eclectic and visionary artist Jona and the historic company Imbalplast di Renato Alzani comes Recycling, the work that reflects on recycling and the transformation of materials and is on display at Index 2026, the world’s leading trade fair dedicated to nonwovens currently taking place at the Palaexpo in Geneva.
Even in this second area—unbound by the logic of the Crema exhibition but closely linked to the same ethical urgency—Jona categorically rejects a didactic approach, preferring symbols capable of prompting the viewer to a profound and independent realization. Exemplifying this parallel strand is one of his most famous works, in which the artist integrated the universal symbol of recycling with actual industrial packaging provided by a manufacturing company.
Within the conceptual framework of that work, the artist displayed the discarded plastic and paper material transformed into small, perfect spheres, ready to be reintroduced into the industrial cycle to generate new packaging.
This is a highly conceptual work that aims to narrate the infinite cycle of matter, dismantling the very concept of waste.
“I was interested in depicting the continuous cycle of the elements: what is discarded does not truly disappear, but can transform, evolve, and return. It is a conceptual work that speaks of responsibility, transformation, and the often contradictory relationship between humans and the environment.”
This extraordinary ability to blend the works’ exceptional formal value with a social message of universal and inclusive scope has not gone unnoticed by the leadership of major institutions overseas. Jona’s artistic and ethical journey will, in fact, receive definitive and prestigious international recognition this coming fall.
In October, New York will host the official awards ceremony, where the Italian artist will present his work “American Flag” at Carnegie Hall and will be honored with the renowned award for artistic excellence at the Reputation Awards.
The award is not merely a tribute to his career, but a celebration of an artist who has made culture a tangible tool for emancipation, dialogue, and social change.
From the picturesque setting of Crema to the Big Apple, Jona’s art has the power to unite humanity through the most intimate, profound, and often forgotten aspect of our existence: connection.
OLTRE IL SEGNO – SHARED EXHIBITION
Mostra collettiva di Jona, Alessia Gatti, Erica Ziglioli
Dal 30 maggio al 14 giugno 2026
Chiesa di Santo Spirito e Santa Maddalena – Crema
Associazione Leonardo di Soncino
