TECLA in St. Martin Bamberg: Experience Contemporary Art in the Church Space
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TECLA: A concentrated art meditation in the church space
On Monday, September 28, 2026, the after-work format A Quarter Hour of Art invites you to the St. Martin city parish church in Bamberg. At the center is the contemporary installation TECLA – … who else should I fear? by Kerstin Himmler, a loan from the Diocesan Museum Bamberg. The approximately fifteen-minute work observation combines aesthetic experience, spiritual reflection, and cultural education.
An installation between ritual and memory
Kerstin Himmler's installative, allegorical work refers to Tecla Merlo, an emancipated nun and co-founder of the Paulines order. The historical figure represents a life of humility, simplicity, and spiritual independence – at the same time, she opened new perspectives for many women.
At the center of the installation are the utensils of a ritual foot washing: a pitcher, a bowl, and a cloth. Behind them stands a delicately appearing chair, whose seat and backrest are presumably formed from printing letters. The objects are chrome-plated and stand on a luminous base, framed by a skeletal cube made of painted steel.
Material, light, and spatial effect
Metal, synthetic stone, epoxy resin, chrome plating, lacquer, acrylic glass, and wood characterize the materiality of the installation. Reflective surfaces set the light of the church space in motion and create a changing perception between sacred calmness and modern artificiality. The geometric limitation of the cube contrasts with the familiar shapes of the bowl, pitcher, and cloth.
In the church space, the work observation unfolds a special exhibition atmosphere: The everyday object becomes a sign, and the act of washing becomes a choreography of care, humility, and inner strength. The installation does not demand a quick interpretation but rather an attentive aesthetic experience.
Art in the church space as cultural education
The format of the organizers – the main department of art and culture of the Archdiocese of Bamberg, the Protestant Deanery Bamberg, and the Catholic pastoral care area of Bamberg West – places contemporary art in a lively dialogue with architecture, liturgy, and personal perception. The short duration opens a concentrated moment between workday and evening, where painting, sculpture, and installation become experienceable from new perspectives.
TECLA marks the beginning of a series of art meditations in Bamberg churches. Further works by Rui Chafes, John Young, Andrea Landwehr-Ratka, and Albert Ultsch expand the program into an urban spatial parcours of contemporary art.
Conclusion: Fifteen minutes for a sustainable encounter with the work
The art meditation in St. Martin promises an intense art experience with a clear formal language, symbolic depth, and impressive spatial effect. Those who wish to not only view contemporary art but also experience it in the interplay of material, light, history, and spirituality will find in TECLA – … who else should I fear? a concise reason for work observation. Admission is free; a visit enriches the evening with a quiet, inspiring moment.
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