From June 7 to October 11 this year, Brigitte Jurack's exhibition ‘Rising Darkness’ took place to showcase her politically engaged art. In the Victoria Gallery and Museum, the University of Liverpool’s famous Redbrick building, you can step into a black-and-white world: a collection of stark, moving paintings from floor to ceiling. This world contains many areas of contention from current news, the landscape, history and war.
Who is Brigitte Jurack?
Brigitte Jurack is a German-born sculptor, author and artist based in Liverpool, who works in many different types of media to create her unique art. Originally, she did a degree in Protestant Theology and Fine Art at Düsseldorf Kunstakademie, before moving to the United Kingdom, where she is a Reader in Sculpture at Manchester Metropolitan University.
She has had many experiences abroad, which have all contributed to the development of her art and style: for example, there is a work of art from her residency in Latvia in the exhibition. The artist brought part of a burnt weeping willow directly from Latvia to this exhibition as a very powerful symbol; the piece of burnt tree seems to be in the shape of legs. There are numerous interpretations of this work, but it could be a reference to the long-lasting effects of destruction, conflict and occupation in Eastern Europe. In recent decades, Latvia has become an independent country after almost a century of occupation.
'Rising Darkness'
The focus of the exhibition was the contrast between light and darkness, used to highlight the central themes. Darkness, Renaissance, progress, and memory: these topics are very relevant in the current European and political circumstances. The exhibition, for which the artist made almost all of her artworks within two months, shows the manifold influences of her life experiences.
One particularly poignant artwork was ‘Andriy and Maria’ (2024), which refers to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. It is a painting that has a simple but haunting effect, with the names of Ukrainian soldiers spaced out across a plain black background.
"Andriy and Maria", 2024:
In addition, there are works of art, in the corners of the exhibition, depicting different types of lights. The repeated idea of light and darkness expands the theme of conflict, and the black and white undertones the whole exhibition with the sincerity required to discuss these themes. Another theme is the state of the environment. After a short sabbatical in Switzerland and Austria, she published her thoughts on the subject in her bilingual book ‘The Female Surveyor/Die Vermesserin’, from which she also read extracts to us.
Art must be meaningful
‘It is the obligation of creative people to think the impossible.’ Brigitte Jurack explained that it is incredibly important for her to keep history alive through works of art. Her exhibitions are always trying to do that, and there will soon be more exhibitions in Winchester and then Hong Kong.