Tent of God
Lent Installation 2017
Client:
Municipality of St. Ruprecht
Artistic Directors:
Christof Cremer
ART INSTALLATION FOR LENT
“… I have moved about in a tent.”
(2 Sam. 7:6)
During Lent, altarpieces are covered in many churches. It is not until the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection that
they become visible again. The aim is also to sharpen our focus on what is essential.
This year, at Ruprechtskirche, nothing will be covered up; on the contrary, something will be
highlighted and brought to people’s attention. This, too, is meant to help us focus on what is essential.
Some associations that may come to mind when looking at the golden foil:
Canopies have been around for many centuries. On the one hand, they served as sun protection for the
ruler and as a clear indication of where his place, his seat, was.
Christians also adopted the canopy as a symbol of honor—for bishops, the pope, and
later also as a “heaven” above the tabernacle or during processions.
King David had the Ark of the Covenant, the sign of “I am here,” brought into a tent. The tent thus becomes
the place where God dwells.
In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, we read: “Then I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, ‘Behold, the tent of God (the dwelling place of God) among men!’”
The golden canopy above the altar is stretched like a tent over the place where, for
centuries, the death and resurrection of Jesus have been commemorated and the Lord’s Supper has been celebrated.
The golden foil appears to float, reacts to thermal currents, and is delicate and light as a feather. And yet, “
” offers protection: This tent was made using rescue foil, the kind used to wrap people in after accidents
. Rescue foil that refugees receive when they arrive on the mainland after a dramatic and life-threatening
journey across the sea.
The foil reflects light, casting a golden glow; it seems as though those seeking shelter and
safety beneath it are transformed into queens and kings.
The gold of the foil is also a reference to the upcoming Easter celebration, to the resurrection of Jesus.
The artist Christof Cremer, who created this art installation, says: “This tent, this foil
is also a symbol of Christ for me: He is our lifesaving foil.”
