For (yet) another Middle Ages

For (yet) another Middle Ages

FOR (YET) ANOTHER MIDDLE AGES – expoziție de pictură la Central European University, 2004

”Welcome everyone,

I know it is not the custom for the artist to open his/her own exhibition, but let’s face it, this exhibition is about me. It is about my exercise of imagination on a topic so close to me, the Middle Ages.

My professors and colleagues from the Department of Medieval Studies should not be fooled by the title of this exhibition. My methods in this context are very different from those of Jacques Le Goff. Anyone who feels inside this connection to the Middle Ages must sometimes put aside all scientific and rigorous academic thought and let the imagination take control. In such a polymorph realm, every personal Middle Ages is true, every vision is real.

So, here you have mine. I started mainly from literary texts: from Umberto Eco’s “Baudolino” which is one of my favourite books, from the Bible, the Apocrypha, the travels of John Mandeville and a few others. Other times I just associated images to what seemed to me mysterious names or places. You can find a few words about each painting, a sort of interpretation key, in the leaflets at your disposal.

I leave you therefore to inspect and in the happy case to enjoy my personal Middle Ages.

1. Noli Me Tangere. This line always seemed to me more likely to have been said by Mary Magdalene to Jesus and not vice versa.
2. Ypatia.The medieval coiffure, so fascinating and terribly complicated, might try to imitate the surface of the brain. In this case, both the hairstyle and the mind of medieval ladies remain a mystery.
3. Homunculus (the Armenian). Armenia holds a special place in my personal geographia sacra of the Middle Ages and this Armenian can be one of those passionate early heretics, a hermaphrodite or a mighty king.
4. Homunculus with Pomegranate. My Middle Ages has the smell of its spices and its exotic fruits…
5. Church/Mosque. No Middle Ages is conceivable without the supernatural stillness of a cult place. This image was inspired by a medieval Unitarian embroidery.
6. From Jonah’s Point of View
7. Homunculus (Eros & Thanatos). Falling in love in Renaissance times was thought of in terms of a small image of the beloved that entered through the eyes to the heart of the one poisoned by love. Melancholy and eventually death followed if the love remained unfulfilled.
8. ?. Some things must not be revealed
9. Tower (in the Land of Presbyter Johannes)
10. Crossing the Sambatyon. Crossing the river of stones Baudolino/John Mandeville enter the fantastic lands…
11. 11,12 Looking for the Inner Middle Ages (Reflections in a tea Spoon).
12. Christ Embracing the Holy Church