I recently wrote about a pedestrian bridge at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden that caught my attention. Another installation in the park that has stuck with me is Black Vessel for a Saint by Theaster Gates. The piece consists of a statue of St. Anthony, the patron saint of libraries, inside of a black brick cylindrical space open to the sky. In researching the work recently, I learned that the statue was rescued from a church in Chicago that was being demolished, the brick comes from recycled material in the same area, and the room is meant to be reminiscent of a Roman Tempietto, a small circular chapel, all of which played into Gates’s themes as an artist. I enjoyed this interview with Gates where he describes some of his perspectives:

I’m interested in this idea of the role that artists play in considering not only the ironic or the idiosyncratic, but also the sincere, the sacred, the political, the moral. Is it possible to deal with the sacred in a way that simply lets there be space for the possibility of a sacred act or a sacred moment? Whether people are believers in the sacred or not, can architecture, design, and the arts create a moment where you feel like you’re touching something that is bigger than my humanity or your humanity?

and later, after reflecting on the meaning of a vessel and creation of space:

What I’m after is creating opportunity after opportunity for more people to gather. And if they gather in front of a tar painting, inside of a museum. that is awesome. But I also love the idea that I could create a space where people would be able to have shelter, experience performances, reflect together on the possibilities and the challenges of urban space. My investment in things is really a deep investment in people.

Taking all this into account. “Black Vessel for a Saint” is a wonderfully executed success.

Credit: MPR News