The Catholic Church and Art: Could Patronage Make a Comeback?
The Church’s Comeback in the Art WorldWill the Pope conquer the art market faster than AI?
As an artist, I love the Catholic Church because, without it, Francis Bacon probably wouldn’t have created his screaming popes.
But like many religious institutions, the Catholic Church has its problems:
it’s losing the interest of more and more people.
Since 2010, Gallup reports that nearly 74% of Americans believe religion is losing its influence on life in America. Over the previous decade, that average was closer to 55%.
In response, the Vatican announced a mascot for the 2025 Jubilee, aimed partly at connecting Catholicism with younger audiences and pop culture.
And while the Church wants young followers, I believe artists need the Church — its billions, its spaces and its lore — to fully explore their potential.
Or simply survive.
If you’re looking at the Catholic Church alone, “God” has at least — and we’re putting a huge emphasis on “at least” — $73 billion in assets.
There were times in history when the Church was at the centre of the art world — one of the few institutions with enough resources to support and inspire artists in the creation of monumental works.
Now, the Church could reclaim some of its influence in art, creating an experiment that could support a new generation of young artists.
As more and more open calls turn away emerging talent while charging fees that only make struggling artists’ lives harder, as blockchain art questions its own meaning, and as creators hesitate to share their artworks on social media because they fear AI models will use them for training — the Church could step forward with almost everything it needs to become a platform for artists.
“Church Will Solve Your Problems” would make a great slogan.
The only problem…
The Church and its more conservative critics would have to accept that artists will reinterpret religion, its symbols and its history.
And sometimes they won’t like the result.
We’ve already seen that tension before — including around the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
I want to believe the mascot is just the beginning of the end (lol)…
Imagine cheats in video games that require you to quote the Bible to double your HP — guaranteed to grab the gaming community’s attention.
Or dynamic NFTs linked to church attendance.
Why not turn some churches into galleries and use part of the Catholic Church’s vast real-estate network for artist residencies?
Artists need spaces.
The Church has spaces.
Problem solved.
And finally:
why not invest all the money in Bacon’s screaming popes?
Amen.
...your worst artist and best friend,
As an artist, I love the Catholic Church because, without it, Francis Bacon probably wouldn’t have created his screaming popes.
But like many religious institutions, the Catholic Church has its problems:
it’s losing the interest of more and more people.
Since 2010, Gallup reports that nearly 74% of Americans believe religion is losing its influence on life in America. Over the previous decade, that average was closer to 55%.
In response, the Vatican announced a mascot for the 2025 Jubilee, aimed partly at connecting Catholicism with younger audiences and pop culture.
And while the Church wants young followers, I believe artists need the Church — its billions, its spaces and its lore — to fully explore their potential.
Or simply survive.
If you’re looking at the Catholic Church alone, “God” has at least — and we’re putting a huge emphasis on “at least” — $73 billion in assets.
There were times in history when the Church was at the centre of the art world — one of the few institutions with enough resources to support and inspire artists in the creation of monumental works.
Now, the Church could reclaim some of its influence in art, creating an experiment that could support a new generation of young artists.
As more and more open calls turn away emerging talent while charging fees that only make struggling artists’ lives harder, as blockchain art questions its own meaning, and as creators hesitate to share their artworks on social media because they fear AI models will use them for training — the Church could step forward with almost everything it needs to become a platform for artists.
“Church Will Solve Your Problems” would make a great slogan.
The only problem…
The Church and its more conservative critics would have to accept that artists will reinterpret religion, its symbols and its history.
And sometimes they won’t like the result.
We’ve already seen that tension before — including around the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
I want to believe the mascot is just the beginning of the end (lol)…
Imagine cheats in video games that require you to quote the Bible to double your HP — guaranteed to grab the gaming community’s attention.
Or dynamic NFTs linked to church attendance.
Why not turn some churches into galleries and use part of the Catholic Church’s vast real-estate network for artist residencies?
Artists need spaces.
The Church has spaces.
Problem solved.
And finally:
why not invest all the money in Bacon’s screaming popes?
Amen.
...your worst artist and best friend,
hEhe and my contemporary art criticism
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All text, photo, and video materials belong to their owners and are for demonstration purposes only. Please do not use them in commercial projects.
