Thoughts on Guy Ferrer’s "T.O.L.E.R.A.N.C.E."

spotlight.africa

Matthew Charlesworth visited his former high school, where he encountered an artistic composition that prompted a deeper spiritual reflection. The artwork calls for greater religious tolerance, but Charlesworth suggests that it reveals a far more encompassing image of God and the spiritual quest that necessarily values a tolerance that must lead us towards genuine fraternity. “T.O.L.E.R.A.N.C.E.”, by sculptor and artist Guy Ferrer, is composed of nine bronze sculptures, each representing a letter of the word “tolerance” and depicting aspects of a religion, belief or spirituality. It is currently on display at St Stithians College and I went to visit it this past weekend. (Full disclosure: I’m an alumnus of the school). I thought I would share my impressions about this intriguing artwork. The artwork is on loan to the school from the Everard Read Art Gallery in Johannesburg. Their website states that: “Guy Ferrer is French, of Catalan descent by his father and Italian descent by his mother. He was born in 1955 in Algeria, and this work has been exhibited in France, Germany, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. Conceived in the aftermath of 9/11 and in reaction to contemporary humanist religious tensions, this artwork presents Guy Ferrer’s reconciliatory vision. It is a message of hope stating that the communal and shared spiritual quest, inherent in our humanity, should be a source of convergence. Key to an essential commitment for respect and peace in the world, tolerance exists thanks to an effort of reflection, openness to others and imagination. It is a message of hope stating that the communal and shared spiritual quest, inherent in our humanity, should be a source of convergence. This major sculpture received wide acclaim through its exhibitions in La Monnaie de Paris (January, 2008) and in the Jardins du Luxembourg, French Senate (summer, 2008). It has also been installed at the Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany, 2009), the city of Poznan (Poland, 2009), the Palais des Rois de Majorque (2011) and the Campo Santo (2014) in Perpignan (France). Three of the eight editions of this work have been installed on a permanent basis at: the François Mitterrand’s park (Saint-Ouen, France); the forecourt of the Government Palace in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); and the district of Port Marianne in Montpellier (France).” The artist believes that each installation of this artwork “serves as a landmark, a focal point for welcoming other artists, students and entire communities to join in spreading the fuller message of Tolerance, Compassion and Brotherhood”, which is the artist’s intention behind creating an artwork that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. The placing of the figures next to each other represents how each can be pursued without threat to the other and yet stand together as testament to the importance and relatedness of all. I am aware that the observations below are seen primarily through a lens of my own faith and spirituality, and from what I have encountered and read about in other spiritualities and religions. I hope that members of other Faiths might also contemplate this artwork and offer insights that resonate with their own tradition. There is certainly no last word in appreciating this conceptual masterpiece, but I humbly share my impressions in the hope that it might stimulate or awaken your own. My impressions of the ‘T’ artwork. Some people may immediately be drawn to the cruciform shape, and the branches that grow out of the figure’s head might remind one of a crown of thorns. But these thorns appear to have grown and appear more like living stems, and perhaps that is why the figure is not attached to the ‘crucifix’ but appears in front of it. There are some types of crosses, like the Franciscan Tau cross which has a T-shape too. I admit this could be something one can read in the artwork, but looking behind it there is no vertical beam, and so no cross,...