Special Opening Hours: tur-sun 10-17h

Sculptures which weep, bleed, and talk, sculptures which open and close their eyes and mouths. Sculptures with movable arms and legs, as well as sculptures on wheels for processions. Sculpted doves descending from the vaults of Gothic churches into the nave to represent the Holy Ghost, and angels who seem to ascend to heaven:

Medieval participants in church liturgies, religious ceremonies, and mystery plays were keen on dramatic reenactments of biblical events. During the festive days throughout the year, they therefore set various sculptures, mostly made of wood, in motion in ritual ceremonies. Although moved by human hands, the sculptures thus appeared to be alive. This now forgotten aspect of medieval art is the subject of a fascinating exhibition at the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum in Aachen, which demonstrates that sculptures in churches weren’t always motionless.

Instead, they were “played” with in a dignified, but also tangible manner, in order to enable people to actively participate in the history of salvation and to involve themselves emotionally in these events.

The exhibition audience is confronted with concrete uses of medieval objects, which live on in folk customs in many parts of Europe to this day. Be enchanted by 80 late medieval objects from European museums, private collections, and remote parishes in this world-first exhibition on medieval art in motion.

A complementary exhibition catalogue is available for 49,95 Euro.

Katalogcover: Südliche Niederlande: Heiliger Georg zu Pferd auf Rädern, wohl spätes 16. Jh., Herk de Stad (Belgien), Kerkfabriek Sint-Jan de Doper, CC-BY KIK-IRPA, Brüssel, KN009598 © Pigeolet, Hervé, KIK

curator: Michael Rief

Co-Curators: Dr. Dagmar Preising and Maria Geuchen

With the kind support of: 

Peter und Irene Ludwig Stiftung, Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung, Kunststiftung NRW, Kulturstiftung der Länder, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft, Landschaftsverband Rheinland, Renate König-Stiftung, Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland, Jugend- und Kulturstiftung der Sparkasse Aachen, Sparkasse Aachen, Museumsverein Aachen e.V.