I was equally delighted and honored to receive this invitation: I’ll be giving the annual Van de Waal Lecture at Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities/ Art History department’s opening of the new academic year.

The lecture is titled: Curating the sacred: Religious heritage between ownership and audience. I will be exploring questions like: What does it entail to curate exhibitions of religious objects in public museums? What does it mean to visit church buildings as a tourist? Can secular people find inspiration in religious figures?

Over the past decade, research on what has been called the heritagization of religion, and, vice versa, the sacralization of heritage has become widespread. Have heritage and art indeed taken over the realm of religion? If so, religion should have become a thing of the past. Yet, it hasn’t. It seems more alive and pluriform than it has for a long time.

In my Van de Waal lecture, I explore the complex yet fascinating constellation of art, heritage, and religion in secularized contexts like the Netherlands. Drawing on my extensive experience in academia and museums, I aim to bridge theoretical questions and practical challenges in dealing with religious art and heritage between faith communities and the broader audience.

You can find more information on Leiden University’s website. All welcome on the 3rd of September, 16.00-17.00 in Leiden!