Architecture Here and There

Increasing concern that modern architecture contributes to the decline of Western civilization brings an increasingly desperate hunt for ways to return art and architecture, at least, to the realm of aesthetic sanity, if not sanctity. Last week I linked readers via this blog to an appeal, or petition, that will be submitted to Pope Benedict, urging him and the Vatican to "Return to an Authentically Catholic Sacred Art."

A link to that blog is here, and directly to the appeal, here.

My thanks to Nikos Salingaros for bringing the appeal to my attention. And to Nicolai Ouroussoff, of the New York Times, for writing a perfectly ludicrous column about the Maxxi museum in Rome that was fun to kick with both feet.

The Vatican has invited 262 artists from around the world, leaders in their respective artistic realms, to Rome, indeed into the Sistine Chapel itself (pictured above), for some straight talk from the pontiff on Saturday. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, and one isn't quite sure of the stance from which Benedict will be coming - will it be "back to the straight and narrow" or will he invite artists to help lead the One True Church straight to ... well, read the column.

The appeal may be submitted to the pope on Saturday, Nov. 21, the day of this meeting, but signatures to the appeal can be delivered later. However, the more signatories there are by the time Benedict addresses the artists on Saturday, the more sense his remarks are likely to make.

I hope that, given the attention paid in Rhode Island and around the world to all things Catholic, that the appeal will generate pressure for a return to tradition, at least in the realm of ecclesiastical architecture, from which the church has deviated, even in Rome. The forces of tradition were outwitted by those of modernism in the design process to rebuild the World Trade Center, and didn't do all that much better in the process of rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina. Maybe this time it will be different. But let's not all hold our breath!

Readers of the column on Thursday will note that my attempt to demonize modern architecture finally reaches its logical conclusion. No, I do not intend to stop there. As a devoted modernist at least in terms of punditorial structure, I must continue to push the envelope of argument. But I do wish to insist that readers should understand that I am not saying that all individual modern architects are actually the . . . well, read and enjoy the column on Thursday.

 Tags  architecture churches Ouroussoff Pope Benedict Rome sacred art Salingaros Vatican

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