Artlyst - Michael Takeo Magruder: De / coding the Apocalypse – Panacea Museum

My latest piece for Artlyst is a review of Michael Takeo Magruder’s digital art exhibition ‘De / coding the Apocalypse’ at the Panacea Museum; a visual art exhibition exploring contemporary creative visions inspired by and based on the Book of Revelation:

'As the Panaceans knew, the Book of Revelation documents not only the destruction of the current world but also maps out the creation of a new, better one. With this in mind, Takeo says: "I think that is good for us to ponder and to imagine—whether we are religious or not—because in this technological age we have so much power to destroy and to bring about our own end. Yet that same technology could/can also bring us hope and salvation. And maybe in that simple fact, a text like Revelation can surface our greatest fears and our greatest hopes and help us to strive towards the positive in the full knowledge that if we get it wrong, it could be the end of us."'

I first met Takeo when St Stephen Walbrook was the first location to show his 'Lamentation for the Forsaken'. This piece is currently at The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York. In this work Takeo offers a lamentation not only for the forsaken Jesus, but others who have felt the acute pain of abandonment, whether by God or fellow human beings. In particular, Takeo evokes the memory of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have passed away in the present conflict, weaving their names and images into a contemporary Shroud of Turin; a relic famous for its image of Christ, believed to have been created without human intervention.

My other Artlyst articles are:

• Giorgio Griffa: The Golden Ratio And Inexplicable Knowledge
• Arabella Dorman Unveils New Installation At St James Church Piccadilly
• Can Art Transform Society?
• Art Awakening Humanity Conference Report
• Central St Martins in the Fields Design Then And Now
• The Sacramental And Liturgical Nature Of Conceptual Art
• Caravan – An Interview With Rev Paul Gordon Chandler On Arts Peacebuilding
• Art Awakening Humanity Alexander de Cadenet Interviewed
• Polish Art In Britain Centenary Marked At London’s Ben Uri Gallery
• Michael Pendry New Installation Lights Up St Martin In The Fields;
• Mark Dean Projects Stations of the Cross Videos On Henry Moore Altar;
• Refugee Artists Learning from The Lives Of Others;
• The Religious Impulses Of Robert Rauschenberg;
• The Christian Science Connection Within The British Modern Art Movement;
• Artists Rebranding The Christmas Tree Tradition;
• Art Impacted - A Radical Response To Radicalisation;
• The Art of St Martin-in-the-Fields; and
• Was Caravaggio A Good Christian?

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Robert Plant - Bones Of Saints.

Grief & Hope: reflecting on the Refugee Crisis

Those speaking tomorrow at St Stephen Walbrook (6.00pm) as part of Grief & Hope: reflecting on the Refugee Crisis are:

Michael Takeo Magruder is a visual artist and researcher who works with digital and new media including real-time data, digital archives, immersive environments, mobile devices and virtual worlds. His practice explores concepts ranging from media criticism and aesthetic journalism to digital formalism and computational aesthetics, deploying Information Age technologies and systems to examine our networked, media-rich world.

Dionne Gravesande is Head of Church Advocacy at Christian Aid. She is responsible for leading the organisation’s work with church leadership on key global policy and advocacy issues. This work is embedded in the organisation’s mandate to expose the scandal of poverty and to challenge and change unjust structures and systems that work against the interest of the poor and marginalised.

Christian Aid is the official relief, development and advocacy agency of 41 sponsoring churches in Britain and Ireland. Christian Aid is also part of the global ACT Alliance family - a coalition of 137 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 100 countries.

Revd Richard Carter is Associate Vicar for Mission at St Martin-in-the-Fields. He was ordained in 1992 and has been a full time priest at St Martin’s since 2006. He has special responsibility for the education programme, international links and hospitality of the church and links up with the Connection at St Martin’s for services, events and to lead the Spirituality Group. Before coming to St Martin’s Richard was Chaplain to the Melanesian Brotherhood in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

David Glasser is Chairman and Chief Executive of Ben Uri Gallery (Museum of Art, Identity & Migration). The Ben Uri Collection has over 1300 works by nearly 400 émigré artists and artists of primarily European Jewish descent, including major work by Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg and Mark Gertler.

During Lent we are hosting an art installation by Takeo entitled Lamentation for the Forsaken, 2016. In this work, Takeo offers a lamentation not only for the forsaken Christ, but others who have felt his acute pain of abandonment. In particular, he evokes the memory of Syrians who have passed away in the present conflict, weaving their names and images into a contemporary Shroud of Turin. He writes that, "The Shroud, of course, is itself an image—an ‘icon’ in Pope Francis’ words—better known by its photographic negative than its actual fabric. Takeo’s digital re-presentation participates in and perpetuates this history of reproduction. But the real miracle isn’t the Shroud itself, it’s our capacity to look into the eyes of the forsaken—and see our Saviour."

We wish to use Takeo's installation to generate debate and response to the refugee crisis and therefore have organised ‘Grief and Hope: reflecting on the refugee crisis'.

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Martyn Joseph - Still A Lot Of love Round Here.