HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Politicians still painting world with heavy calligraphy of war
"Perhaps the Benedictine sisters’ art is similar to their prayers; there is no doubt some effect, but its source moves in mysterious ways."
The Benedictine sisters of Maredret exist quietly and almost invisibly. If you visit their abbey, about 30km from the French-Belgian border, you won’t be allowed beyond the small shop and exhibition space where they display their artwork and crafts, and you won’t meet anyone except the elderly nun working a shift. By contrast, around the corner at Maredsous, the order’s brothers have stocked their abbey with drawcards for day-tripping families: the crowds come to enjoy the monks’ beer and cheese, to take advantage of a pristine kids’ playground and to wander through not-so-quiet cloisters. These are two faces of spiritual life in Belgium, where the presence and influence of the Catholic Church is still keenly felt in an otherwise secular state. While Maredsous is more fun, there is a poignance to the seclusion of Maredret’s artist-nuns that resonates strongly with the country’s history. One of the community’s first projects after its establishment in the late 19th century was a seri...
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