THE BEST ART CHAPELS THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR BUCKETLIST
Have museums come to replace churches? Though we have become a more secular society, the need for the spiritual has not left us. Where churches served as spaces for quiet meditation, introspection, connection and prayer, museums, it has been argued, have come to served this purpose to a generation disillusioned with organised religion. Following is a list of churches and chapels designed by the best artists of the 20th century and 21st century who have fused these ideas, bringing modern and contemporary art into a sacred context.
The Rosary Chapel, by Henri Matisse. Location: France
Perhaps one of the best known of the Art Chapel’s is that of Matisse. Based in the beautiful small village of Vence in the South of France, this is a religious Catholic space run by Dominican nuns. The official name of is The Rosary Chapel but as every last detail was designed by Matisse, it is often just referred to as The Matisse Chapel. He was 77 when he embarked on the project, having recovered from cancer surgery with the help of a nun, Monique Bourgeois, who was looking after him during his convalescence. It is perhaps one of his final masterpieces. You can read more about how to see the chapel here.
The Rothko Chapel, by Mark Rothko. Location: Texas, USA
The Rothko Chapel in Houston Texas was commissioned by art collectors John and Dominique de Menil in 1964 to create a meditative space full of his paintings. It is a non-denominational space and the interior serves not only as a chapel but also as a major work of modern art in and of itself. Inside, you will find fourteen black but colour-hued paintings by Mark Rothko. The shape of the building, an octagon inscribed in a Greek cross, and the design of the chapel was largely influenced by the artist. In 2000, the Rothko Chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, underlining its importance as a national treasure. You can see more about the chapel here.
Ellsworth Kelly Chapel. Location: Texas, USA
Ellsworth Kelly died in 2015 so he was not able to see the completion of his final great work of art in 2018. Kelly, an atheist, designed all aspects of this loosely Romanesque structure. He had been sitting on the project since the 80’s so, in fact, one could say this has been three decades in the making. It was a problem of finding the appropriate site for the work, as well as funding issues, which were eventually resolved and the chapel was finally built in Austin on the grounds of the Blanton Museum. A great addition to the city. For more information click here.
Santa Cecilia Chapel, by Sean Scully. Location: Spain
When Sean Scully wandered into Santa Cecilia after a hike on Montserrat with his family, his reaction with the small chapel was so moving that he ended up baptising his son there. After some time and many visits, he also offered to redesign the interior of the chapel with his works and stained glass free of charge and donated his artworks to the monastery’s museum. The monastery is a mini religious city, and Santa Cecilia sits slightly removed from the main building, making it more intimate and special. Scully made a chapel for contemporary audiences, full of light and spirituality. For more information click here.
The Bataan Chapel, by Not Vital. Location: Philippines
The remoteness of Not Vital’s chapel is part of its grace and what makes it an art pilgrimage as well as a traditional one. The space is not dedicated to Christianity though it is decorated with the artists’ interpretation of The Last Supper (see below), but to anyone wanting space and seclusion to contemplate life. The structure rises on a hill in rural Bagac, a town of just under 30,000 inhabitants located about 50 km west of Manilla in the Philippines. It is a cross between art, sculpture and architecture, and the journey you will take to find it is what makes it ever more special.
Not Vital’s version of The Last Supper. If you think of the black stains as where the heads are in the Da Vinci version then it will make sense.
Chapel of the Good Shepherd, by Louise Nevelson. Location: New York, USA
The not so remote Chapel of the Good Shepherd, designed by Louise Nevelson, is located on Lexington Avenue in New York. It is the only remaining, permanent, fully intact sculptural environment by Louise Nevelson. It features nine white on white wall-mounted sculptures, accented with gold-leaf. Nevelson was instrumental in the conception of the space and introduction of the form, which “sought to break down the historical dichotomy between life and art.” It has a very 70’s feel to it and it really captures an era and oeuvre of this artist. Read more about the space here.
Memorial chapel at Dorotheenstädtischer Cemetery, by James Turrell. Location: Germany
People are flocking to see James Turrell’s Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof I burial chapel (say that 3 times fast). So much so that to visit one needs to now book a ticket for the tours organised over the weekend. The experience lasts for about 30 minutes as dusk turns to night, and is a soft immersion of light and space, with colours slowly fading from brilliant purples and blues to acid greens and warm reds. The combinations might look like an 80’s Miami beach party scene but the atmosphere is entirely spiritual and calm. It is a working chapel in a cemetery and the thoughtful design, as are most of Turrell’s works, are meditative and, well, really beautiful. For booking information click here.
Museum of War & Peace Chapel, by Pablo Picasso. Location: France.
Perhaps the most unassuming of the chapels, but certainly worth a mention, is that of Picasso the grandmaster himself. It is in a stone French Renaissance chateau in the town of Vallauris, a short drive from Cannes in the south. In 1952, Picasso completed 18 murals on the chapel walls and vaulted ceilings depicting scenes of war and peace. Visitors are invited to sit and contemplate these beautifully colourful and intense drawings before hitting the riviera. There is also a good collection of Picasso’s ceramics which is worth spending time over. For more on how to visit the chapel click here.
Chapel of Light, by Tadeo Ando. Location: Japan
There are thousands of architecturally interesting chapel’s around the world but there are three in particular that deserve a spot on The Art Pilgrim. Why? These chapels were built by architects who have made a profound contribution to the contemporary art world. The first is Tadao Ando who is responsible for the museums and pavilions on Naoshima Island and the main buildings at Chateau La Coste. His understanding of how to make space for the arts has meant that his expertise has been called upon by museum and gallery directors the world over. The two chapels that he designed in Japan, the Chapel of Light in Osaka and the Chapel on the Water in Hokkaido, are works of art in their own right.
Inagawa Cemetery Chapel, by David Chipperfield. Location: Japan
The third chapel was designed by ‘museum man’ David Chipperfield. He has worked on the renovation of The Royal Academy of Arts in London, The Neues Museum in Berlin, and a new wing for The Metropolitan Museum in New York. What an art resume! Well worth the art pilgrimage though is to Inagawa Cemetery, located on a steep site in the Hokusetsu Mountain Range of the Hyogo prefecture, approximately 40 kilometers north of Osaka. The quiet design is beautifully balanced and contrasts without upsetting the surrounding nature.
Saint Peter’s Chapel in the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Palma, by Miquel Barcelo. Location: Spain
Nestled in the right-hand apse of Saint Peter’s Chapel in the impressive Cathedral of Santa Maria de Palma, Mallorca, is the well-known New Testament parable as imagined by Miquel Barcelo. This beautiful Gothic cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Sea, might not be the first place you would think to look for contemporary art, but the dramatic scene is befitting the atmosphere of the basilica. The parable is the miracle when Jesus multiplied bread and fish to feed his followers. Barcelo covered the walls in ceramics and also did the striking stained glass windows that complete this moody scene that tilts its hat to the sea.
There are, of course, many more chapels that have elements created by artists, such as Sean Scully’s stained glass windows in the cathedral in Girona, or David Hockney’s windows in Westminster Abbey, but the above chapels have really been the vision and environment of the one creative mind. They are wonderful spaces to visit, with friends or alone, and spend time with, to contemplate and admire. I am including one last special mention of Anton Gaudi’s great La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It is forever unfinished and surrounded by cranes and scaffolding, but one can see his spirit in the design. Hopefully, one day, it will be complete.
From left: Sean Scully’s window detail in Girona, Interior shot of Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, David Hockney’s window in Westminster Abbey.