written by art historian & curator Mihaela Manolche
Our day-to-day world is marked by unprecedented instability — rising conflicts, climate crises, and a relentless drive for material consumption. Many individuals feel disconnected from their inner selves and the natural world. The constant demand for more, coupled with the pressures of an accelerating digital age, has left people grappling with feelings of anxiety, isolation, and meaninglessness. Amid this backdrop, contemporary art has become a powerful medium for exploring themes of disconnection and reconnection. Spiritualist art, in particular, has resurfaced within the contemporary art scene as a counterforce to the chaos, offering a space where viewers can engage with deeper questions of existence, purpose, and healing.
Spiritualist art fosters contemplation and transcendence, drawing from diverse spiritual traditions and metaphysical concepts. It has historical connections to movements like Symbolism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism and we see how contemporary artists are revisiting these ideas. Today, most curators and writers recognize the historical value of spiritualist art while reinterpreting it in modern contexts. Spiritualist art creates a much-needed dialogue between the external world’s turmoil and the inner realms of self-discovery. This…
