Icons of the material: Contemporary art, new materialisms, and visual theology

Abstract

This article explores the possibility of implementing iconographic principles in the mediums of contemporary art. Its central thesis is that matter in contemporary art ceases to be a passive carrier of meaning, instead becoming an active participant in the creative process. This approach finds parallels in visual theology, where the icon is understood not as a representation of the sacred but as a space of its manifestation. The philosophical foundation for this perspective lies in new materialisms, which reject the duality of matter and spirit, asserting that matter possesses its own vitality and capacity for meaning-making. The authors examine specific artistic projects (e. g., works by Angelika Mesiti, Trevor Paglen, Wolfgang Laib) that demonstrate how matter ‒ whether biological tissue, rusting metal, or algorithmic code ‒ participates in the creation of an artwork. These practices are juxtaposed with traditional iconography, where the material image is also regarded as a bearer of the divine, as well as with Pavel Florensky’s teaching on the interactive nature of created matter. The article develops a methodological approach combining three key stages of analysis. The first stage involves deconstructing the anthropocentric model of creativity through the lens of new materialisms (Jane Bennett, Karen Barad), where agency is distributed among human and non-human actors (materials, technologies, natural processes). The second stage includes the comparison with visual theology (Jean-Luc Marion, Christos Yannaras), which reinterprets the material image not as representation but as an event of encounter with the sacred. The third stage analyzes specific artistic practices through this dual framework, revealing how contemporary art replicates the logic of the icon in new media. The article pays special attention to original art projects proposed by the authors as examples of icon-making by means of contemporary art. In conclusion, the author argues for the emergence of a new paradigm in which the sacred is understood not as transcendent but as immanent property of matter. Contemporary art thus becomes a new form of iconography, where matter itself serves as a medium of Revelation.