Gert Bossenbroek

"In my artistic practice, I explore how the Reformed experience of faith can be enriched through visual art. Within this tradition, the Bible has been central for centuries, which has often given the experience of faith a strongly linguistic and dogmatic character. At the same time, the personal experience of faith, also known as ‘experience’, plays an important role. Since the Reformation, however, imagery has largely disappeared from church and religious practice.

Through my work, I seek a visual language that resonates with Reformed themes of faith. I aim to add a sensory dimension to the experience of faith, thereby creating space for deeper reflection. By restoring a place for the visual, I explore how visual art can contribute to a richer experience of faith.
In doing so, I use materials associated with church liturgy and tradition. These carry a familiar and meaningful significance. I also work with natural materials, as I experience nature as a place where God reveals Himself as Creator. The natural and ecclesiastical materials reinforce one another in their sacred meaning.

In this work, an old Bible descends from above into the space. It consists of loose pages from a Statenvertaling, bound together with bookbinding glue and old bookbinding gauze. The Bible has been transformed into a textual image that is visible at a glance. The Word of God lays itself at the feet of the viewer and opens a dialogue. On the one hand, the viewer is invited to reflect and engage in dialogue, whilst on the other, the believer may experience a deepening of their faith."