Huberta Humka’s project reflects on the essence of the divine element, on whether there is a rational or metaphoric potential of defining this phenomenon. It is a recurring individual and non-objective question about the nature of the divine, how it reveals itself in the world and how we perceive it. Employing cultural and historical references, it addresses the formation of the image of God in consciousness in emotional and spiritual terms, as well as the need to seek its manifestation in reality. Can the essence of the divine be treated as a personification of the forces of nature or do we seek its presence only on the intellectual level?

At the exhibition, the artist’s theistic and philosophical reflection is expressed via seven very diverse intermedial forms. Still, the project is bound to remain unfinished as it would be utter arrogance to authoritatively claim that these are all the answers, especially that we are not sure that they are recognizable to us. Hubert Humka’s Divine is a journey and an invitation to the fathoming of the question of divinity at the metaphysical and existential level and to coming to terms with one’s concerns.

A few years ago, a series of studies were conducted on the perception of God in different cultures. It was noted that, unconsciously, we cannot help but imagine deified versions of ourselves. We impart to the image of God perfect if still human qualities, even personality and needs. The question about the essence of divinity is a psychological imperative; we feel compelled to know what God is like. Having no other references, we attribute our own features to the divinity. In his project, the artist addresses precisely this aspect of constructing an image of God. However, using the language of art, he can make his considerations more abstract in tone, and thus open up room for multiple interpretations, pointing out far from obvious directions for contemplation.

Curator: Maja Kaszkur