This is a talk I gave in April at the Scala Foundation's April 2023 conference on Art, the Sacred, and the Common Good held at the Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. Featuring in-depth discussions with artists Jonathan Pageau, Aidan Hart, and Rifle Paper Company Co-Founder Anna Bond.
In this talk, I address art and its relation to memory and identity, especially as applicable on the civil level. Public art forms part of and is a reflection o our common identity. I also discuss the unique opportunity in sacred art, which connects us not only to each other but also objective reality, the ultimate source of all identities.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/mfDm4VefkJg
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Original post by Scala Foundation: Jonathan Pageau at Scala Conference 2023: "Memory and the Role of Art in Identity" - https://youtu.be/VvQH04Mhc2k
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Warmup discussion: The Mother of God - Scala Foundation webinar - https://youtu.be/A68n2M4iFFY
Playlist of all the talks at the event: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZHnw30gpFeBFtZE-wsj5or0BdQtIMjh
Scala Foundation website: https://scalafoundation.org/
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Preview clip
00:01:17 - Introduction
00:03:38 - Start of talk: The start of his icon carving career
00:05:29 - The current perception of art
00:08:46 - A more universal vision of art
00:14:22 - Ancient art and coming together
00:17:54 - Art binds us to what's most important
00:20:01 - Secular participative art
00:22:53 - The breakdown of public art
00:27:10 - Identity and opposition
00:31:17 - Remembering the origin
00:34:57 - Art gone wrong: Babel and propaganda
00:40:21 - The Christian vision of art
00:50:03 - The final image
00:53:05 - End of talk
00:53:13 - Question: Heavenly Jerusalem
00:58:03 - Q: Are the arts up to the task?
01:07:35 - Q: What does repentance look like civically?
01:10:00 - Q: Connecting te Church and the home
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My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.