introspective views
Text for the exhibition blicke nach innen. Nicäa [Introspective Views. Nicaea] at Schloss Bruck in Lienz
The exhibition blicke nach innen. Nicäa [Introspective Views. Nicaea] at Schloss Bruck is a stellar compilation of works of contemporary art that explore spiritual experiences. It features all manner of references, from Antiquity to the present day, examining for instance how spiritual aspects have been rendered symbolically, whether through iconography or language, figuration or abstraction. The sequence of works on show is designed to highlight how a spiritual community emerges and the nature of the relationship between the collective and the individual, and vice versa.
The image plays a major role in this regard. It opens up the possibility of engaging with spirituality, achieving transcendence and, in the process, ‘stepping beyond’ the boundaries of the finite experiential world. The selection focuses first and foremost on works that are most likely to encourage a more in-depth contemplation and pave the way to mysticism. Considerations surrounding the sacred in art and what art and religion have in common make up the central theme of the exhibition, which also includes images that directly reference the events of the Council of Nicaea.
The exhibition at Schloss Bruck, the erstwhile residence of the Counts of Görz, also links to the European Capital of Culture, which in 2025 will unite two cities – Nova Gorica and Gorizia – under one motto for the first time. The First Council of Nicaea, convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 CE, was aimed at addressing the entire body of believers. It gave rise to the Nicene Creed, the ecumenical creed summarising the basic Christian statements of faith.
The Second Council of Nicaea assembled in 787 CE underscored the importance of the veneration of holy images, substantiating the fundamental emphasis on iconography in the Christian religion. Both art and religion have the potential to express the parallels that exist between the temporal and the eternal. Indeed, both extend beyond the visible towards the immaterial. They venture down open paths and bring to light that which societies suppress into their subconscious.
Spiritual aspects in modern art are messages that express a sense of connection and hope. The Soviet film director Andrei Tarkovsky once remarked that ‘I see it as my duty to stimulate reflection on what is essentially human and eternal in each individual soul’. The exhibition therefore sees itself as an antiphony between the physical and the spiritual, as an exploration of ‘the Innerworld of the Outerworld of the Innerworld’, to quote the title of one of Peter Handke’s poetry collections.
The works on show by 25 artists represent a spiritual tour de force in twelve stages. The quintessence of the selection resonates in the statement by visual artist Vija Celmis, who once remarked about her artistic work: ‘There is something profound about working with a material that’s more solid than words; it’s about a different, more enigmatic place.’
The exhibition hopes that visitors will engage with it, giving rise to an interaction between the viewer and the viewed, a movement towards art or even towards God – in the spirit of the great philosopher, theologian, cardinal, mathematician and physicist Nicholas of Cusa, who wrote: ‘If I am to lead you to the divine in a way the human mind is able to grasp, then I must avail myself of the icon.’
The exhibition opens on 28 May 2025 and runs until mid-October.