Maxim Kantor’s “The Last Judgment”

Exhibition and International Conference at Saint-Michael’s Church, Luxembourg / June 28-30, 2019

Le « Jugement dernier » de Maxim Kantor : Exposition et conférence internationale

Avec l’acquisition du Jugement dernier de Maxim Kantor, son œuvre monumentale vient compléter deux pièces déjà existantes dans la collection des Beaux-Arts du Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art à Luxembourg.

Dans ce cadre, la Luxembourg School of Religion & Society, l’Université du Luxembourg et le Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art avaient organisé du 28 au 30 juin une conférence internationale en présence de l’artiste et de son œuvre en l’église Saint-Michel à Luxembourg-Ville (voir les photos ICI…).

Des universitaires de Belgique, d’Allemagne, du Royaume-Uni, d’Italie et du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ont abordé le tableau avec le regard du philosophe, de l’historien d’art, du politologue, du théologien et du littéraire. L’artiste Maxim Kantor a présenté lui-même son œuvre (vendredi, 28 juin à 18h30) dont il dit : « Representing the subject “the Last Judgment” by a family portrait, I wanted to express some very important thought: Judgment is constant – it happens endlessly; each day, you face eternity and moral judgment; in your own inner eyes you are judged each second. To feel, to experience any concrete day as the Last Judgment is something that may challenge our usual understanding of daily life. » L’encadrement musical de la soirée a été assuré par l’ensemble almondo.

Dimanche, 30 juin, l’œuvre a été présentée en langue italienne. Cette présentation était accompagnée par Alain Wirth aux orgues de l’église Saint-Michel. L’homélie de la messe de 11h00 a permis de créer le rapport entre liturgie et art, et la Chorale Saint-Michel a interprété des œuvres en rapport avec les fins dernières.

Program June 28-30, 2019


Maxim Kantor’s “The Last Judgment”: © Maxim Kantor/MNHA

Day one – June 28, 2019 – Part I

14:00 - Registration
14:30 - Conference Opening – Opening Remarks
15:00 - H. E. Amb. Guy de Muyser, Maxim Kantor and Luxembourg
15:30 - Dr. Malgorzata Nowara (MNHA), Maxime Kantor et Le Jugement dernier dans la collection du Musée national d’histoire et d’art

16:00 - Pause

16:30 - Prof. Dr. Georg Mein (University of Luxembourg), Das Jüngste Gericht unter der Perspektive des Erhabenen
17:00 - Prof. Dr. Gianluca Cuozzo (Università degli Studi di Torino), Maxim Kantor und die bildhafte Einfaltung der Zeiten
17:30 - End of the Part I

18:30 – Evening Program – Part II

Maxim Kantor presents The Last Judgment

Introduction by Prof. Dr. Georg Mein

Anton Webern, Six Bagatelles for String Quartet followed by
Franz Schubert, String Quartet No. 12 in c-moll performed by ensemble almondo

Transition by Prof. Dr. Jean Ehret

Lectio magistralis by Maxim Kantor: Painting. Presence and Meaning

Dimitri Schostakowitsch, String Quartet 8, Op. 110 performed by ensemble almondo

Day two – June 29, 2019 – Part III

09:00 - Dr. Andrew Teal (University of Oxford), Maxim Kantor and the Representation of Christian Humanism
09:30 - Dr. Harald Wydra (University of Cambridge), Interdividuality and Reflective Justice
10:00 - Prof. Dr. Christian Illies (University of Bamberg), Books on the Screen

10:30 - Pause

11:00 - Prof. Dr. Ignace Berten, Apocalypse Now?
11:30 - Prof. Dr. Jean Ehret (LSRS), Maxim Kantor and the Theology of the Last Judgment
12:00 - Concluding Remarks

Day three – June 30, 2019 – Part IV (no registration needed)

10:30 - Presentazione in lingua italiana
11:00 - Eucharist in Saint-Michael’s Church (IT, FR, EN)
Chorale Saint-Michel; Director: Gerry Welter, Organist: Alain Wirth

A Eucharist appears on Sunday morning on the program of the International Conference. This needs a word of explanation.

This event should be considered as an invitation for all interested people to experience Kantor’s painting in the setting of a liturgical celebration. In fact, Bosch’s Last Judgement or Rogier Van der Weyden’s Beaune Altarpiece were not painted for museums but produced as an integral part of communitarian worship. The case of Kantor is of course different: The painting has not been created as an altarpiece and its figures deviate strongly from traditional representations. Kantor considers it to be a religious painting. Bringing it into the architectural setting of a Church and then into a liturgical “performance” with all that belongs to it, definitely transforms the reception context. This experience might challenge both believers and non-believers in their imaginaries and reflections; it may also offer horizons for finding new elements contributing to understand and value the power of art.

All are welcome to attend with due respect to religious places and ceremonies.

Organization Committee

Prof. Dr. Jean Ehret, Director, Luxembourg School of Religion & Society
Prof. Dr. Georg Mein, Dean, University of Luxembourg
Prof. Dr. Michel Polfer, Director, Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art