The huge hot water bottle on St Stephen’s Square next to the cathedral had people wondering and speculating last week, just before the fear of the virus took over. It is a sculpture by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, called ‘Big Mutter‘, evoking the the importance of warming charity in the period of Lent, the time before Easter. Eerily accurate in current times, where we are all facing the importance of solidarity and humanitarian behaviour.
Warming charity in the period of Lent
Inside St Stephen’s Cathedral a Lenten Cloth in the shape of an enormous knitted purple sweater conceals the main altar painting, as is custom in Lent. Lent, a time to contemplate mortality and ways our lives have gone off kilter. Along the nave of the cathedral more sculptures by Erwin Wurm provoking visitors to contemplate their own limitations: men withhout head and hands, a bodies defined by a briefcase or a handbag, deformed buildings and other objects.
Lent, a time to find ways to cope with selfimposed or inflicted limitations, awaiting the time of resurrection when there is more cause for hope and joy. Let us stay hopeful and careful at the same time.
#vienna #contemporaryart #worthseeing #worthcontemplating #thoughtprovoking