Wasteland (Letters from Karakorum), by Moscow-based artist Maxim Kantor, is comprised of 70 etchings with color engraving that depict the artist鈥檚 interpretation of everyday life in Russia. Also included in the portfolio are seven lengthy letters (addressed to 鈥滲eloved鈥� or 鈥淒earest Friend鈥�), seemingly reflective of Kantor鈥檚 personal biography. The work sheds light on Russia鈥檚 physical and cultural place in the world鈥攂etween the East and the West and Asia and Europe鈥攁nd the long-standing social and cultural problems that have plagued the country. The term wasteland is defined as an urban or industrial area that is bleak, barren, neglected, overgrown, unused, or unattractive. The hapless, grim-looking citizens presented in Wasteland reveal the struggle and hardship鈥攊ndeed, the horror鈥攐f living in this harsh, nearly uninhabitable environment.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with Fr. Ryan Duns鈥� Spring 2022 class THEO 2330: Evil, Horror, and Theology. Focusing on the genre of supernatural horror, the course invites students to identify what Duns calls 鈥渄ark transcendence.鈥� Through film, literature, and the visual arts, the class will probe the mystery of evil and horror and consider ways in which these genres can serve as portals to an encounter with the 鈥淒ark Transcendent鈥� known to theologians as Divine Mystery. Students will visit the Haggerty Museum throughout the semester to view the selection of prints from the Wasteland collection. The wager of the course is that, when beheld through a theological lens, Kantor鈥檚 harrowing depictions of everyday evils can awaken a sense of the hallowing presence鈥攖he Dark Transcendent鈥攚ho opens our eyes to the horrors of history and calls us to stand in solidarity with history鈥檚 victims.
This exhibition is presented in part through generous support from Partnering Sponsor Dr. Mary Anne Siderits
