Sacrum et Decorum (Dec 2023)
Magdalena Schmidt-Góra’s Christological installations. Analysis of selected examples
Abstract
For over thirty years, Magdalena Schmidt-Góra, a faculty member at the Sculpture Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, has been creating ephemeral installations based on the theme of the Holy Sepulchre and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. She makes them from natural materials such as thorn bushes, fabric elements, wooden constructions, sand, paper, tar paper, wax and flowers. This article presents a selection of installations created in the churches of St Bartholomew in Gdańsk and St Bernard in Sopot over the past 30 years. These installations showcase the artist’s exceptional craftsmanship, with the deft utilization of nearly architectural forms, abstract, representational, indexical signs, and vivid depictions of the human form and dynamic, nuanced contrasts. The artist has been affiliated with the Schola Węgajty since 1994. The sculptor’s manipulation of space evokes the recollection of religious community rituals, the sensation of mystery, and mystical crucifixes. Valuable materials, intricate and sensitively crafted details prompt the viewer of her artwork towards liminal, borderline and ultimate experiences, which are “incomprehensible to the senses” – necessitating that the viewer supplements them with faith. Thanks to the sculptor’s extensive knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, she is able to create authentic spaces that resonate with the viewer’s thoughts, emotions and memories.
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