The Pastoral Formation Institute is celebrating the feast of the Epiphany with a free online webinar entitled ‘Viewing the Epiphany: Reflecting on the sacred through art’.
The main idea behind this event is to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany together despite current COVID-19 restrictions. The Pastoral Formation Institute has opted to organise the event in a virtual manner instead, intending this to be an occasion upon which to reflect on the Epiphany while also appreciating the artistic heritage that it begets.
The webinar will involve an analysis of a number of works of art through a selection of themes that are closely tied to the event of the Epiphany, with specific attention paid to the nexus of the power of beauty. These themes will focus especially on paintings representing the visit of the Magi. The webinar aims to be an opportunity to engage and reimagine the myriad ways of understanding beauty and the divine in and through art.
The speakers will tackle the topic of the Epiphany and the symbolism surrounding it by relaying it across different themes and perspectives. One such perspective involves identifying sacred locations, whether these are celestial movements, nature or sacred spaces.
The webinar aims to engage and reimagine the myriad ways of understanding beauty and the divine in and through art
Another important theme to be considered when regarding the Epiphany through art is that of the journey, both in terms of the physical journey undertaken by the Magi to meet Jesus, and because the Epiphany can be regarded as a journey towards an encounter with beauty and divinity.
This thus leads to the theme of encounter, wherein one enters, engages and performs within a sacred space. The most significant form of performance, in fact, is veneration. What are the Magi adoring? Is it an icon or an idol?
The material objects involved in the Epiphany that were presented to Jesus, namely the gold, myrrh and incense, will also be discussed. These will be considered as ‘materialities’ that activate different ways of experiencing beauty.
The theme of adornment will also be addressed in the webinar, specifically around the question of whether or not there is a logical tension between the Magi’s material wealth and the logic of beauty and divinity. Lastly, the Epiphany will be explored in terms of the themes of violence and destruction – to what extent does the Epiphany prefigure the crucifixion?
These topics and more will be presented by the speakers Giulia Privitelli from the University of St Andrews and Omar N’Shea from the University of Malta.
The webinar will take place on Wednesday, January 6 at 5pm. One can reserve a place by visiting the Pastoral Formation Institute’s website on http://maltapfi.org/.