The fusion of horizons : interpreting the archetype of the resurrection myth in contemporary visual art

Abstract

The aim of this mini-dissertation is to critically investigate the interpretation of the archetype of the resurrection myth in contemporary visual art by identifying and analysing selected works by Diane Victor and Christian Boltanski. This is accomplished through acknowledging and briefly referring to the development of the aforementioned archetype and its portrayal in pre-historic and early Christian iconography. The intention is to consider the relevance of such iconography in the current socio-cultural environment. The two artists’ fields of reference are worlds apart yet there is some communal significance in their artworks. Furthermore, this study not only looks at the subject matter used to portray the resurrection myth in contemporary visual art, but also consider the expressive mediums and the site specific exhibition spaces used by the selected artists to enhance the understanding of this myth. The main premise of this study is to appropriate the theories of Martin Heidegger on finitude, and Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutical phenomenology, with particular reference to his theory concerning the fusion of horizons. The analysis of the resurrection myth in contemporary visual culture critically deliberates not only the artists’ intentions, but also the viewers’ participation in this issue. This is achieved by considering culture as a signifying system where meanings are created within a given society. The above research serves as a framework for my own art-making.