The Man Who Bears the Cross: in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp

No church without art, and that is also the case in Antwerp Cathedral. Anyone who visits the Cathedral of Our Lady today will see numerous old masterpieces that were often specially made for the church. The Lamentation of Christ by Quinten Metsijs marks the transition from traditional wooden altarpieces to painted altarpieces. A hundred years later, Rubens introduced the explosive dynamism of the Baroque with his Descent from the Cross. Both were new and progressive in their time.
But in the twentieth century, the connection between contemporary art and the Church became less self-evident. Apart from a few monuments and liturgical objects, nothing new has been added to the heritage since the beginning of the previous century. In November 2015, Antwerp Cathedral will be enriched with a work of art: Jan Fabre's bronze sculpture The Man Who Bears the Cross (2015) will be given a permanent place in the cathedral thanks to a patron.
A work by Fabre in a religious building? That is perhaps less sensational than it seems. Fabre describes himself as a spiritual sceptic. In his search for meaning in existence, he does not confess to a religion or philosophical system. But he opens himself up to the transcendence that elevates life. In his oeuvre, Jan Fabre draws on sources from Christian and other religious traditions. Like so many of our contemporaries, he simultaneously creates a certain distance, remaining the sceptic who questions and doubts. It is no coincidence that the artist emphasizes the search for balance when he speaks about his image - The Man Who Bears the Cross is literally a balancing act, just as faith is today.
Through various essays and large-format photographs, this publication shows how Jan Fabre's spiritual quest is a 'work in progress', just as the spiritual quest of others in the past and present was and is.