Wednesday 12 September 2012

Religion regrets . . .


It's an old story.

And it's a marvelous painting. The impact is immediate.

Who cannot be unmoved when they view such an image?

But then we say: It was a long time ago.

- CHRIST ON THE CROSS -
by ROBERT BERENY 1912

Today, being the opening day,  I was given 'special' permission to take a couple of photographs of paintings exhibited at the current Bank Austria Kunstforum exhibition of Hungarian art titled A Nyolcak (the Eight) which is subtitled: Hungary's Highway to Modernism.

The main reason I was permitted to take my photos without having to jump through any paper hoops was the increasing popularity of this Poet-in-Residence website (606 visitors yesterday for instance); but first I had to point out to one of the zealous guardians of the artworks the words in the exhibition's own booklet which stated that the exhibition had "the aim of winning an international position . . . . for little known . . . Hungarian art".

These might be fine sentiments, I added, but they were in practice totally pointless if bloggers such as myself were not allowed to record and promulgate these "little known" examples of "Hungarian art".

Not far away from the Bank Austria Kunstforum there is a plaque on a wall.

Some years ago the plaque was unveiled by two Austrian cardinals. Unfortunately it proved too difficult to photograph the plaque clearly due to a reflection on the perspex material.

Luckily I managed to find a printed copy of the text in the nearby Art Forum am Judenplatz.

The passage which interests me and which may also interest you is the following:

Today, Christianity regrets its share in responsibility for the persecution of Jews and realizes its failure. 

The date on the plaque is 29th October 1998. It's not a long time ago.


Die Acht. Ungarns Highway in die Moderne
Bank Austria Kunstforum, Vienna
12.9 - 2.12.2012


2 comments:

  1. What a powerful image that painting holds Gwil. Congratulations on your amazing number of visitors.
    As for that quote at the end - nothing changes, does it?

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  2. Thanks Pat. What you say is true and so we must thnk how can change things. The internet is a great tool. It might prove to be the one. It might just change things. We can only try. Not to try is a resignation. I for one will never resign myself to the status quo..

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