Special exhibition: Ostendere - enamelled Stations of the Cross

Ostendere: Experience the enamelled Stations of the Cross by Isabelle Mathis in the large icon hall!

A Way of the Cross is not simply a pilgrimage to the place of torture. Every step of the condemned man, every gesture he makes speaks to us. Christ also reveals the truth to us in his suffering and death. He is present at every station, but only reveals his face to us at the end of this long journey. As in our lives, we do not see him. Nevertheless, he is there, accompanying us through our trials and in our joys. He is an example to us: a lifetime of walking to finally find the light at the end of the road.
Artistic approach
What the artist wanted to evoke in terms of emotion was something she felt deep within herself during the year and a half she spent thinking and working to create what would become a major work.
The selection of the individual drawings is not insignificant. Isabelle concentrates on each part of the body in search of the power of the moment. The search for and selection of the characters' faces, which may seem astonishing in some respects, was an essential preparatory phase. Marion Cotillard served as the model for St Veronica. Joey Star lent his face to Simon of Cyrene. Monica Belucci became Mary and Jocker, played by Jack Nicholson, became the soldier who robs Jesus of his clothes. The artist's husband modelled so that Christ's hands and every posture could be studied and drawn.
The enamelling processes themselves are a true masterpiece. Each of the stations required at least 15 consecutive firings. The application of the colours, the control of the firing times and temperatures and the regularity of the execution resulted in the desired effects and excellent appearance. This reworked and resolutely modern Stations of the Cross are placed as if in a box on a support made of American chestnut wood, carved from solid wood using CNC-controlled tools.