Now in its fifteenth winter, the Curious Matter holiday installation has offered not only a celebration of our communal desire to bring light to this dark time of year, but a meditation on universal truths, and our finest human impulses. Rooted in the rich imagery and symbolism of our Catholic heritage, each installation invites contemplation of the interplay between the sacred and the secular, the intimate and the expansive, and the cherished past and the ever-unfolding present. These installations are guided by a deep reverence for our highest, shared human ideals, and the belief that even the humblest objects can become vessels of meaning and inspiration.
The essays collected in this volume chart a journey of discovery that began with The Madonna Fragment, the diminutive painting that became the centerpiece of our first holiday installation. Though its provenance was unknown, its form evoked the countless Madonnas of Western art, inspiring questions about what we choose to venerate and why. As we wrote then: “The Madonna Fragment, charming and worthy enough in our estimation of appreciation and contemplation, is presented along with a sense of our individual and collective capacity to attach meaning and magic to any object.” This first experiment in holiday storytelling and interpretation invited visitors to attach their own meanings to the fragment, setting a tone of curiosity and open-ended exploration that has guided our tradition ever since.
Our next holiday installation may be considered our most whimsical, diving even deeper into the realm of holiday storytelling. The Relic of 41st Street began as an ordinary, discarded object—a found mannequin leg—but through our holiday lens, it became a vessel for joy, goodwill, and redemption. Its unexpected Baroque charm allowed us to conjure a Dickensian sense of wonder, transforming urban detritus into a powerful seasonal symbol. As we wrote, it reminded us of the season’s enduring power to “generate joy, goodwill, harmony and peace on earth.”
Our installations have evolved, increasingly drawing from our personal collection of Roman Catholic devotions: finely crafted lithographs and prints, to hand-stitched Sacred Hearts, homemade crafts, and sentimental keepsakes. While the objects themselves are steeped in Catholic tradition, the installations aim to highlight broader, universal aspirations: themes of love, forgiveness, sanctuary, community, and the resilience of the human spirit. These devotions invite us to consider not only their spiritual resonance but also their capacity to tell stories of our shared humanity.
Each essay in this collection reflects the collaborative and contemplative spirit of our work. Objects like a popsicle stick church, crafted with care, remind us of personal devotions that exist outside institutional frameworks. Similarly, a bottle whimsy filled with Passion symbols or a hand-carved wooden crucifix offers a glimpse into the intimate ways people articulate their devotion. We’ve also shared works more grandly executed, such as the lithograph The Broad and Narrow Way, which confronts the complexities of moral choice with an intricacy and delightful earnestness.
Over the years, our holiday installation tradition became increasingly shaped by the news of the day. During the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the installation offered a space for reflection on the sanctity of home as a refuge. As we wrote then, “Home is a comfort, a refuge, the place where we can express who we are, deeply and fully. That is the hope.” In times of social upheaval, the installations became a call to nurture community and connection, as our nation wrestled with questions of justice and equity. “Our exhibition is our gesture of solidarity, mourning, and insistence on the irreplaceable value…of people to commune and celebrate the highest ideals with which we seek to live.”
As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who inspired our 2012 installation, Petite Voie. We wrote then of “honoring the spirit of the season and celebrat[ing] the small acts that touch our sentimental hearts. The same hearts that recognize even modest work born of our best intentions can transcend mere sentiment and possess the capacity to inspire us, in ways that may not necessarily be heroic but with significance nonetheless.” This book is a celebration of that ongoing effort.
The essays in this collection offer a window into the ideas and inspirations that have guided our work. They are not only a record of our journey but an invitation—to reflect, to question, and to find meaning in the smallest acts, the simplest objects, and the shared light of the human spirit.
As ever, with warmth, love, and affection,
Raymond E. Mingst & Arthur Bruso, Co-founders, Curious Matter
© 2024 Curious Matter, used with permission
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