Contemporary religious art in Europe

Colloquium — Thursday 10 November 2011 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Responsible

Hans Geybels

Introduction

Religion and spirituality have made a deep impact on art throughout history. This is the result of the fact that throughout history man has continuously sought to express himself through both art and religion. Early cultures used 'artwork' to worship divine beings, and in the Middle Ages, 'artwork' was used to canonize religious themes and spiritual leaders. During the Renaissance period, painted images began to gradually move away from society's spiritual ideologies and become more and more individual.

Art lays bare our realities, and religion opens our experience up to God. Think of the Christian church structure, with its cross-shaped nave and transept, its wealth of sign and symbol and story in stained glass, stone and wood carving, and the very design of the church building itself. Art was seen as a vehicle for expressing the glory of God. Art and religion were truly married.

With the Enlightenment, art and religion began to split apart in European and Western culture. "Art is the daughter of the divine," stated Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. Most art lovers today would assume that Steiner's opinion belongs to the past. Art was once the daughter of the divine, but in the 20th century the once-dutiful daughter became independent, even ignoring her religious heritage. Art became a purely aesthetic activity. Some feel sorry about this evolution, but it certainly created new perspectives on the relations between art and religion.

In this expert seminar, we consider several aspects of the relationship between art and Christianity in Western Europe. Are there any criteria to speak of religious art? Is there such a thing as religious art? How do Catholic church authorities deal with contemporary art? The abuse of religious symbols in Western Art …

Audience

This seminar is intended for all those interested in religious art works in Europe.

Program

9.00h. Reception and Coffee
9.30h. Welcome, Lieven Boeve
9.40h. Introduction, Hans Geybels
10.00h. Christian Art? Biblical Traces in Modern Arts, Marcel Barnard
11.00h. Coffee Break
11.30h. Religious Art Misused - three ways to distort Christian Iconography, Elisabeth Stengard
12.30h. Panel, Marcel Barnard and Elisabeth Stengard
13.00h. Lunch
14.00h. La spiritualité chrétienne dans l'art contemporain 2000-2010, Jérôme Cottin
15.00h. Lecture, Yvonne Zu Dohna
16.00h. Coffee Break
16.30h. Panel, Jérôme Cottin and Yvonne Zu Dohna
16.50h. Completion

Practical information

Date: Thursday 10 November 2011
Time: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Small Auditorium, Maria Theresiacollege, Sint-Michielsstraat 6, 3000 Leuven.

Subscription

You can subscribe by sending an email to Angeline.DeMoor@theo.kuleuven.be and deposing € 25 to the following account 734-0066603-70 of the K.U.Leuven. Please note clearly the structured number 400/0004/63215.

Terms of the Continuing Education of the K.U.Leuven

Directions

The Sint-Michielsstraat is situated between Naamsestraat and Hogeschoolplein.

Further information

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Further information can be obtained from Angeline De Moor, Angeline.DeMoor@theo.kuleuven.be or 016/32 84 67.

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