“Absolvo te!” – A live production by Dennis Josef Meseg addresses abuse in the Catholic Church

From April 20-23, 2023, the performance artist Dennis Josef Meseg his current contemporary work at the Discovery Art Fair in Cologne at stand AC8, a 30 square meter exhibition space directly in the heart of the fair.

The work was entitled “Absolvo te!” (Latin: I absolve you!) and dealt with the socially critical topic of “abuse in the Catholic Church and its handling of perpetrators and victims”.

It was a staged performance that included a Gothic confessional and six male nude models of different ages.

The six nude models were living paintings on site , which the models then held motionless for 10-20 minutes.

The performance should encourage every visitor to reflect and discuss , and visibility for this important topic.

"Absolvo te!"

More than 2,000 years ago, a twelve-year-old boy from Nazareth went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his parents. The young boy went alone into the temple and impressed the scribes with his wisdom (Luke 2:41ff).

This child became the cornerstone of Christianity , and under his symbol, the cross, Catholic priests still proclaim the words of Jesus today:

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).

For this reason, devout parents send their sons to church, Catholic boarding schools, boys' choirs, and recreational facilities, hoping that priests will protect them from evil and pave the way to paradise. However, this path is fraught with many temptations that no child in the world can resist without difficulty.

The confessional is meant to offer help and stands like a sanctuary in Catholic churches. Here, sins can be confessed and forgiven through the priest's absolution ("Absolvo te!").

But what happens when the confessor himself becomes a wolf in sheep's clothing? When he not only satisfies his own hunger but also violates what is most precious to people: their children? Disguised in expensive robes and pretending to preach the word of God, they commit crimes that demand forgiveness. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, hiding behind a holy cloak.

Dennis Josef Meseg's installation "Absolvo te!" makes a statement and confronts the heartless perpetrators with their guilt. Kneeling before their victims of abuse, they must ask for forgiveness for the suffering and damage they have inflicted on young people. It is a first step back onto the right path.

About the performance artist Dennis Josef Meseg

"I am not a warrior with a sharp weapon, not a poet with a sharp pen, and not a politician with power. I consider myself an artist who loves the world and all its facets – people, animals and nature."

Sculptor Dennis Josef Meseg creates his installations not merely for easy sale because they are beautiful and harmless, but because they convey a lasting, socially critical message. His art aims to reach people and confront them directly with issues that often remain distant or abstract.

Themes such as consumption, the environment, war, pandemics, and the price of prosperity paid by others. His aim is to use his installations to engage people in conversation, to reach them, and to direct their attention to issues that affect us all.

The recognition of his artwork motivates him. For example, his Corona memorial "It is like it is" the CREO Prize in 2021 .

His current installation, "Broken/(Un)Broken,"which draws attention to the worldwide suffering of oppressed, tortured, and often murdered women and girls, is also receiving a large and predominantly positive response. It confirms for him that he can make a difference with his art.