Max Uhlig : Die Fenster der Johanniskirche / The Windows of the St. Johannis Church

Fiery colours, flaming light, great drama – the contemporary glass painting of Max Uhlig

The Dresden-based artist Max Uhlig has created a truly one-of-a-kind installation for the Gothic Church of Saint John in Magdeburg, Germany. The cathedral, first built in 1209, was destroyed during World War II when heavy bombing destroyed the church’s windows and caused significant structural damage. Restorations of the cathedral began in 1992, and soon thereafter Uhlig began his installation, with thirteen of the church’s windows serving as a canvas.

A window area of some 350 square meters immerses the interior of the church in light. Uhlig’s installation offers an abstracted history of the church’s destruction and rebirth. Six windows are presented in color: dark earth tones and luminous yellows and blues are interspersed with fiery reds, recalling both natural foliage and the flames that destroyed the cathedral. This contrasts with the seven windows in black and white: painted vines climb up the choir windows, varying in height to represent new growth. Uhlig’s expressive and rhythmic lines are a revelation in their incisiveness. This magnificent volume about his latest masterpiece shows that Uhlig is at the very height of his career, a painter who will be remembered in our times.