All in All, The Sacred Cosmos of Hildegard von Bingen
Last Wednesday, 16 September, my exhibition ‘All in All, The Sacred Cosmos of Hildegard von Bingen’ opened at Galerie Commeter in Hamburg, run by my gallery owner Carola Persiehl.
The turnout exceeded all our expectations. There were certainly more than 200 visitors at the opening, all of whom showed a genuine interest in my work, as I was able to experience first-hand through the many conversations I had. It was lovely to see how my work was received.
There was also a premiere at the opening, as my colour-field works were presented to the public for the very first time. This is a project I have been working on for some time and which I have now brought to light.
The colour fields have no meaning predetermined by me, as everyone senses something different when viewing them. Rather, they are purely tools for awakening deep emotions and spiritual experiences, thereby transcending the boundaries of human experience, consciousness and tangible reality. The relationship between image and colour evokes contemplative feelings, such as inner stillness, the contemplation of emotions, and a deep inner peace with oneself and with nature. A vehicle for transcendence, through which one may reach one’s own soul.
All in all, this is the current essence of my engagement with Hildegard thus far. She never shied away from speaking her mind.
She criticised bishops and secular rulers. She demanded mercy and moderation from church officials and also took a clear stance on issues of church politics. Hildegard combined mysticism, theology, music and natural history with a holistic view of humanity. Her writings and her thoughts on creation, health and spiritual life continue to attract attention to this day.
On 7 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Hildegard of Bingen a Doctor of the Church without her having undergone a formal canonisation process (on 10 May 2012, Benedict XIV had canonised her as part of an ‘equivalent canonisation’).
All in all, a quiet, mindful gaze that recognises the hidden within the obvious.
Awe, allowing oneself to be moved, not knowing, being open to the wonder in everyday life – for example, to the mystery lying in a falling leaf. Gratitude that springs from the quiet awareness of the gift of life. Longing, that luminous trace of the soul, is not a feeling of lack, but a signpost that reminds one of what is greater than oneself, and at the same time dwells deeply within one. Surrender: letting go of desire, opening one’s hands, one’s thoughts, one’s heart; the courage to entrust oneself to the flow of life without always having to know where it may lead.