“Times of upheaval inspire a search for alternative understandings of reality.” In “Spirituality Has Long Been Erased From Art History. Here’s Why It’s Having a Resurgence Today” art critic Eleanor Heartney identifies a “trend for spiritually-minded art,” which has resulted in a “new spirituality [that] manifests itself in a longing for restorative positives, and human-centered social attitudes.” It is within this search for a new, more expansive definition of spirituality that we seek to locate the role of visual art. 

In the midst of climate crisis, racialized violence, police brutality, the pandemic, and global oppression, creative explorations of spirituality in contemporary art practice provide a unifying forum for reflection and response. Expressions of spirituality in relation to identity are both intimate and diverse. This conference engages with themes of resilience, vulnerability, healing, transcendence, transformation, refuge, and retaliation.

We ask, how have individuals and communities grounded themselves during these times of social turmoil? Can new interpretations of “spirituality” aid artists and viewers in overcoming adversity?  How are artists redefining spirituality through contemporary artistic practice?

Contributors include artists working in multiple media, curators, art historians, and arts professionals whose practices, research, and areas of expertise speak to the following themes: 

• Ritual & Tradition in Decolonial Practice

• Invisible Connections: Positioning the Individual and Collective Unconscious in Contemporary Critical Dialogue 

• Spiritual Connections to the Natural Environment  

• Making Peace: Spirituality and Ritual in Studio Practice 

Please join us for three presentation panels, a roundtable discussion, and a keynote presentation by (OCAD alumnus) Nathan Eugene Carson. 

The event is free and refreshments will be provided throughout the day. 

Eleanor Heartney. “Spirituality Has Long Been Erased from Art History. Here’s Why It’s Having a Resurgence Today.” Artnet News. January 6, 2020. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/spirituality-and-art-resurgence-1737117