War landscape in the optic of icons. 3.7., Acrylic, gesso and wood board, 20 × 15 × 5 cm, 2024
In this series, I return to icon painting, combining military technology such as the screen view of a military drone with classical Christian religious symbols commonly used in religious themes of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The cross not only symbolizes the death of the crucified but also the resurrection and victory over death. This dual meaning is referred to as the "paradox of the cross" and is unique to the symbolism of the cross in Christian thought. My intention was to return to this iconographic idea - depicting death alongside resurrection and sacrifice.
As I looked at works of the Renaissance, I always noticed a completely calm landscape in the background, despite the often dynamic scenes with depicted human bodies. I chose the same motif and transferred it to the intensely tense landscape of the front lines. The calmness is only diluted by the strict lines seemingly cutting through the surface of the work, evoking a sense of uncertainty and inner disturbance. An important motif in my works is also the depiction of the crosshairs and the view from a slightly different perspective. It is an interpretation of the classical theme of crucifixion representations, albeit without human figures. We see the target of the drone and also the explosion, which to me is a symbol of sacrifice in a modern context and new technologies; in a religious context, it can also be a symbol of redemption. The world of war is also a kind of religion, with its own attitudes, rules, and the suggestion of a "holy duty."
The world of war also has its own ideology. War can be a sacred mission, and militarism is propagated in a ritual context. War is usually a highly formalized practice. Like the ritual itself, warfare is carried out through strictly prescribed movements, gestures, clothing, and forms of language. Soldiers are identical and structured according to a certain norm. Formations of organized violence with their columns and rows. So, I see a structural affinity to religious practices here.
War landscape in the optic of icons. 3.7., Acrylic, gesso and wood board, 20 × 15 × 5 cm, 2024
In this series, I return to icon painting, combining military technology such as the screen view of a military drone with classical Christian religious symbols commonly used in religious themes of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The cross not only symbolizes the death of the crucified but also the resurrection and victory over death. This dual meaning is referred to as the "paradox of the cross" and is unique to the symbolism of the cross in Christian thought. My intention was to return to this iconographic idea - depicting death alongside resurrection and sacrifice.
As I looked at works of the Renaissance, I always noticed a completely calm landscape in the background, despite the often dynamic scenes with depicted human bodies. I chose the same motif and transferred it to the intensely tense landscape of the front lines. The calmness is only diluted by the strict lines seemingly cutting through the surface of the work, evoking a sense of uncertainty and inner disturbance. An important motif in my works is also the depiction of the crosshairs and the view from a slightly different perspective. It is an interpretation of the classical theme of crucifixion representations, albeit without human figures. We see the target of the drone and also the explosion, which to me is a symbol of sacrifice in a modern context and new technologies; in a religious context, it can also be a symbol of redemption. The world of war is also a kind of religion, with its own attitudes, rules, and the suggestion of a "holy duty."
The world of war also has its own ideology. War can be a sacred mission, and militarism is propagated in a ritual context. War is usually a highly formalized practice. Like the ritual itself, warfare is carried out through strictly prescribed movements, gestures, clothing, and forms of language. Soldiers are identical and structured according to a certain norm. Formations of organized violence with their columns and rows. So, I see a structural affinity to religious practices here.