The Last Judgement

17 aug 202414 sep 2024

When Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement was unveiled on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, rumor has it that the fresco depicting the salvation of the saved and damnation of the damned evoked such a profound response that the pope fell to his knees, exclaiming “Oh Lord, charge me not with my sins when you come on the Day of Judgement.” The image of saints being carried upwards towards the heavens by the wings of angels juxtaposed with those condemned being dragged downwards towards an eternity of torment by devils was such a powerful and terrifying visual realization of a potentially foreseeable fate for many of Michelangelo’s contemporaries that the fresco was much more than a mere painted surface. It grappled with difficult questions about life, death, justice and the afterlife in an all-encompassing overpowering visual experience. Today, people stop in their tracks to admire the sheer magnitude and execution of Michelangelo’s meticulously detailed naturalistic figures gracing the walls and ceilings of the Sistine Chapel.

This August we are delighted to present “The Last Judgement – New Art from New York and Other Places”, Gallery Poulsen’s 15 th and largest summer exhibition featuring a diverse array of works by a rich curated catalog of nothing less than exceptional artists! At Gallery Poulsen, we aspire to bring you art that, like many of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, evokes an emotional response in the viewer and remains relevant for years to come, capturing the essence of its time. For over twenty years, Gallery Poulsen has been dedicated to exhibiting a strong tradition of figurative painting showcasing a wide variety of contemporary works by numerous international artists.

The annual summer exhibition is an eagerly anticipated event that fosters artistic innovation while honoring the culturally significant legacy of figurative art and its role as an integral part of Gallery Poulsen’s identity. We wish to celebrate the beauty, complexity and emotional depth of the human experience through art that presents recognizable subject matter and encompasses a shared reality by artists who excel in anatomy, perspective and emotional portrayal. For millennia, creative expression has borne witness to the human condition, exploring existential questions through the universal visual language that is art. Images can transcend literacy barriers and allow us to experience the world in new and different ways. Our exhibitions,
which are curated to showcase the latest trends and developments in the art world, have served a vital role in establishing us as a hub for innovative and dynamic artistic expressions.

While the works we display may be on a smaller scale than those of Michelangelo, we aim to capture the same sense of awe and wonder, igniting joy and curiosity in the viewer in art that serves as documentation of its time, expressing and preserving various cultural, social and political sentiments. There are certain artworks that have the ability to move us and shape our views of the world we live in, enriching the environments that we inhabit and inspiring us in our daily lives.

The artists have been given free rein to interpret the title of the show as they desire, allowing for diverse perspectives and their own authentic expression to shine through. Whilst Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement is centered upon eschatological beliefs, we hope that our exhibition “The Last Judgement – New Art from New York and Other Places”, can encapsulate a multitude of ideas and narratives, in a comprehensive list of works that uncover new layers of meaning about the human experience,
simultaneously shedding light on what is happening in the present-day art world. By featuring both established and emerging artists, we provide a platform for new and old voices, representative of a vibrant art community that is dedicated to continuously inspiring and engaging its audience at the forefront of the contemporary figurative art scene.

Despite external criticism and pressure, Michelangelo produced what is arguably one of the most magnificent contributions to Western art. In the same spirit of fearless creativity, our varied palette of talented artists rise to the challenge to create captivating works that pay homage to the rich tradition of figurative art through their own distinctive lenses. Join us this summer to witness the power of contemporary art in capturing the essence of the human condition as our artists transform the gallery
into a space of profound reflection and aesthetic wonder.

Participating artists:
Michael Ahlefeldt (DK), Zhou Chen (CN), Ryan Davis (US), Carl Dobsky (US), Alessandro Gianni (IT), Angela Gram (US), Anne Herrero (US), Logan Maxwell Hagege (US), Manuel Hernandez (MX/US), Ryan Heshka (CA), Landon Bailey Higgens (US), John Jacobsmeyer (US), Emilia Nurmivaara (FI), Rebecca Orcutt (US), William Powhida (US), Jean-Pierre Roy (US), German Tellez (CO), Taylor Schultek (US), Jed Webster Smith (US), Lorenzo Tonda (IT), Nicola Verlato (IT), Jingyi Wang (CN), Barnaby Whitfield (US), Martin Wittfooth (CA), Jiannan Wu (CN)

Kilde:
Gallery Poulsen