#Blessed – Museum Krona
“What do historical saints and pop idols of today have in common? The exhibit by artist Mathijs Vissers shines a modern light on worship. Pop idols of today know exactly how to present themselves through (social) media as superhuman. Curiously enough they often use religious symbolism to achieve such feats.
“Vissers makes razorsharp observations through his paintings and makes interesting connections between worship then and now, without passing judgement about it. A colorful, tantalizing exhibit where modern art and historical craftsmanship come together.
Museum Krona
The paintings from #Blessed can be divided in three subseries. “Digital Paradise”, “Icons” and “Apostles”. Each with their own piece of the story and perspective.
Digital Paradise
Showing the digital stars of our time, these large works zoom in on the digital worlds of YouTube and Twitch. A new type of celebrity has formed, through different means and with different intentions, they form a contrast with the big pop-stars we all know. These works are part of museum exhibition #Blessed, which focuses on the connection between classical religious imagery and modern day idols. They tell the story of how in our times celebrities are viewed, and how this compares to worship.In essence, the narrative is about the human urge to seek something higher then one’s self. Whether that comes in the shop of a saint or a celebrity, it seems we as a species have this deeper need to seek these idols.
The paintings combine digital art with classic painting, they reflect on art history while staying very grounded in contemporary times.
Grounded is also a key characteristic of the people depicted in these works. In contrast to superstars like Beyonce, these celebrities show a very human side of their persona. Their careers on YouTube and Twitch are built on a foundation of interaction with their audience, and showing their true colors. They are just like the rest of us, or so it appears.
Icons
These paintings show simple emoji’s against a religious background. Icons in christian art depict saints or other biblical figures and always feature a specific hand gesture. These hand gestures shape the meaning and message of the icon. These hand gestures are still used in a similar vain in today’s world. On Whatsapp or Instagram, we communicate using little hand emoji’s, which often overlap with these religious icon hand gestures.
Ultimately, these works reflect on how humanity seems to have a universal instinct to use hand gestures to communicate meaning, and how this evolves through the ages.
Apostles
For centuries, religion provided us with the central story of our world.
The big book told us how to act, how to dress, how to talk; it was the story we used as our guide through life. In current times, it’s a different story we tell ourselves. Through media exposure, pop-idols and celebrities have ascended to near godlike status. They show us a polished vision of the grandeur of what man can be. They tell us how to act, how to interact with each-other, the words we use, the goals we set ourselves, the life we’re supposed to aspire to have.
But behind the building blocks of this carefully constructed image is a person. Just a person. A regular human being you like and me, who happens to be in a certain position, who is presented through various means as something greater, something transcendent, iconic, godlike. Man made god.
This series of paintings titled ‘Apostles’ combines history with contemporary portraits. Religious works from art history are used as a starting point to inform the rest of the painting. Through color, shape and subject they are brought into current day. It shows a reflection of some of the driving forced behind society, and how that relates to our past. Collectively they ask the question:
How human are today’s gods?
