It looked like Notre Dame Cathedral was done for. Five years and over 800 million euros later and it's back in business. December 8 is the official reopening and present at the ceremony were U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as well as his prominent supporter Elon Musk. As an affirmation of the glory of ancient cultural splendour, it's fitting that the reopening should coincide with a political triumph of conservatives, or at least the right.
Also present at the ceremony was Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a somewhat odd fit considering that Putin has rhetorically tied his dreams of conquest with a resurgence of institutional Christianity. The pope, who was not present at Notre Dame's reopening ceremony, has even mildly encouraged Ukraine to surrender. Of course, French Catholicism has historically had its differences with the pope.
So yes, solidarity beneath the grandeur of Heaven, sort of.
I don't mean to suggest I'm unhappy about the cathedral's reopening. I'm overjoyed. For me, art is the most important thing humanity has ever made, and few examples of artistry can rival Notre Dame. It fulfills the objective of a Gothic cathedral admirably, inspiring awe with its splendour. Could that 800 million have been spent on starving families instead? Well, theoretically, yes, practically, no, if you have any idea of the maze of politics and bureaucracy that this money would have to navigate. And at some point, I still think it's worthwhile to consider what humanity can achieve beyond survival. If just living to see another day is your highest goal, you're already losing.
These cultural edifices serve a less quantifiable public good. That's certainly clear here in Japan where, every year, people of all political stripes and economic strata gather at ancient shrines and temples. Large and ornate, these places give dignity to people and culture beyond the ugly day to day struggle for physical and professional survival.
Last night I found myself watching Carl Dreyer's 1928 film, The Passion of Joan of Arc. I didn't even mean to watch the whole thing but, like a lot of great works of art, it's hard to look away from it. Mostly it's because of all those closeups on Renee Jeanne Falconetti but all those sanctimonious and subtly twisted men sitting in judgement of her are also fascinating to watch. Their authority is so absolute, their verdict so preordained, woven by a web of cultural, professional, and personal interest. This beautiful, earnest soul, committed to the same God these men are meant to be representing, is a tool for their own validation and, increasingly as the film proceeds, their sadism.
These cultural edifices can lift everyone up but it's worth remembering that sometimes they can be used to crush misfits.
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