Take Me Back: The Sacred Context and Its Artistic Reflection in Modern Objects

The biblical precept in Leviticus 10:8–11, in which the Lord speaks to Aaron: “You and your sons with you shall not drink wine or intoxicating drink [...] so that you may distinguish between the holy and the unholy, between the unclean and the clean,” illustrates the clear separation between the sacred and the profane spheres in Old Testament understanding. This distinction, tied to a commandment of abstinence, is closely associated with ritual purity and the perception of the sacred as a domain accessible through self-discipline and renunciation.

This tension between asceticism and worldly pleasure is a paradigmatic theme that has been explored extensively in the history of art and culture. While early Christian art and medieval iconography were almost exclusively in service of sacred messages and ecclesiastical patrons, the Renaissance marked a gradual emancipation of art. This movement toward autonomy not only led to the depiction of secular themes but also prompted a reflection on the relationship between the sacred and the profane.

Baroque art, especially in its sacred form, demonstrates how this tension could be harnessed productively. Here, metaphysical aspiration merges with a sensual, emotionally charged visual expression, captivating the viewer through dramatic compositions, lighting, and materiality. In contrast, modern art often distances itself from traditional notions of sacrality, yet remains fascinated by its aesthetic and symbolic potential. Works such as Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain or the installations of Joseph Beuys can be interpreted as reflections on the ritualistic and symbolic dimensions of modern objects.

Contemporary art reveals a renewed engagement with the sacred, as profane objects of modern consumer culture are placed within a spiritual context. Three artistic positions illustrate how contemporary artists reinterpret this relationship by integrating profane elements into their works and emphasizing their sacral-ritual qualities. This transformation underscores that art continues to serve as a platform for addressing spiritual questions, even as traditional religious authorities have lost influence.

S. Freud provides a crucial framework for interpreting this phenomenon with his theory of the unconscious. In his work Civilization and Its Discontents (1930), Freud describes how the sacred is not merely a cultural artifact but also a projection of internal psychic tensions. The asceticism described in Leviticus 10:8–11 could, according to Freud, be understood as an expression of the sublimation process, through which instinctual energies are transformed into cultural achievements. In this context, art becomes a medium to make visible the unconscious tension between pleasure and restraint.

The reflection on sacrality in art demonstrates that the distinction between the sacred and the profane encompasses not only theological but also psychological and cultural dimensions. It remains a central theme in human history, continually reinterpreted through art. Freud’s insight that culture and religion arise from the sublimation of instinctual impulses offers a deeper perspective on the allure and resistance of the sacred in the artistic engagement with modern, profane objects. Art thus creates a space where these tensions are simultaneously expressed and transcended.