October 13, 2021 at 7:30 PM

BMCM+AC (120 College Street) + Zoom

Proof of vaccination required for entry

Presented as part of the Faith in Arts Institute

“Art + Religion in the 21st Century,” a presentation by Aaron Rosen. The image of the blaspheming modern artist, trampling on all that is good and holy, never fails to grab headlines.  But while some artists simply aim to shock and offend religious sensibilities, they are surprisingly rare.  Contemporary artists who engage seriously with religious traditions, themes, and institutions are much more prevalent and indeed much more interesting.  It is time to set aside old assumptions about the antagonism between art and religion and look again with fresh eyes. In this lecture, Aaron Rosen, a leading scholar on religion and contemporary art as well as a practicing curator and critic, explores some of the key ways in which artists today are reframing how we think about religion and spirituality and driving new approaches to ethical issues including climate care and racial justice.  Rosen will draw on his popular book on the subject, Art & Religion in the 21st Century, with a special focus on works produced since 2020, in a period of seismic change to our moral landscape.

Open to all | FREE

Dr. Aaron Rosen is Professor of Religion & Visual Culture and Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.  He was previously Senior Lecturer in Sacred Traditions & the Arts and Deputy Director of the Centre for Arts & the Sacred at King’s College London. He began his career at Yale, Oxford, and Columbia Universities, after receiving his PhD from the University of Cambridge. He has curated exhibitions around the world and written widely for scholarly and popular publications. He is the author and editor of many books, including Art and Religion in the 21st CenturyImagining Jewish ArtBrushes with Faith, and Journey through Art, translated into seven languages.