Art serves as a bridge between Mogán and the Vatican through two works that address migration from the perspective of the journey's pain and the hope for a new life. The mayor of Mogán, Onalia Bueno, presented the pieces, created in anticipation of Pope Leo XIV's visit to the Arguineguín Pier, a symbolic site of the migratory crisis in the Canary Islands.

The artworks, conceived under a shared idea but executed independently, are by the Canarian artist Marcelo Mellino and the 18-year-old Senegalese painter Mbaye Dieng. Dieng's personal story, having arrived in Gran Canaria by canoe in late 2023, adds a special emotional force to the project, directly connecting with the location that will receive the Pontiff.

One of the paintings will travel to Rome as an institutional gift from the Mogán City Council, while the other will remain in the municipality as a testament to intercultural dialogue, the recent memory of the Canary Islands, and art's capacity to narrate complex realities.

Mellino, a Canarian artist with Italian roots and raised in Mauritania, offers a perspective marked by a blend of territories and identities. Meanwhile, Mbaye Dieng paints from the direct experience of someone who crossed the sea seeking a better future. This contrast is central to the project, aiming for an encounter between the observation of a recent historical reality for the Canary Islands and the firsthand experience.

During the presentation at the Muro Art Gallery in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Onalia Bueno highlighted the symbolic nature of these 'sister' works, emphasizing values such as integration, solidarity, and the desire to prosper.

The choice of the Arguineguín Pier, a focal point of the migratory crisis in 2020, is deliberate. The papal visit to this site aims to be a gesture of recognition towards migrants and host communities, encapsulating in the artworks the fear of the journey, the harshness of the sea, and the uncertainty of arrival, alongside the possibility of a new beginning.

Mbaye Dieng's painting will remain in Mogán as a symbol of belonging, while Marcelo Mellino's piece, which incorporates holy water from Rome mixed with acrylic paint, will be sent to the Vatican.

This initiative places the migration debate on a human level, focusing on individuals and their stories rather than just figures and emergencies. The project unites Senegal, Arguineguín, and the Vatican, sending a message of hope and opportunity.