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The Middle Ages is not the era of darkness, but it is the era of the night. We leave the shores of modern history, of its rational daytime, and enter the mystical night of the Middle Ages. In anticipation of the night we need to arm ourselves spiritually to fight evil, to sharpen our ability to recognize it, to cultivate new chivalry.

Nicolas Berdiaev, from “New Middle Ages”

FotoLoft Gallery and the Paris Art Association L’ART INTEMPOREL present The Middle Ages or the Gothic of the 21st Century within the Photobiennale 2010.  

 The Middle Ages represent not only a historical epoch or a chronological concept; they are yet an original transition period from one condition to another. Many modern artists perceive this concept in their own way, they are united by a certain common aesthetic outlook taking to the epoch of cathedrals, iconostasises, stained-glass windows, polyptychs and Gothic particularity - the epoch of the 21st century.

The iconostasis in the East and the altar composition in the West from the Middle Ages were created as the plastic phenomena of the highest order, as the center of spiritual energy, and also as the media of powerful concentration of information, not less stronger than the modern multimedia. 

The polyfocality of medieval works attracts modern French and Russian artists who search for their aesthetic roots in the ancient icon art, who are influenced by the modern media icons and who, in their works, concentrate spiritual energies connecting the East and the West.

The exhibition project is devoted to the bilateral Year of France in Russia and Russia in France. It consolidates the French, French-Russian, Russian and European masters inspired by the aesthetics of the Dark Ages.

The Middle Ages of the Gothic or the 21st Century exhibition consists of more than a hundred pictures, video and photo-video installations created by the modern artists, which disclose the polyfocal proteanity and transitivity of the epoch of continuing relevance.

Artists: