Installation of Vices

Inspired by the iconic cycle of Virtues and Vices by the Baroque sculptor Matyas Bernard Braun, Lukas Novak, in his new series titled Vices, reflects on the seven deadly sins. By reinterpreting them for a contemporary world driven by performance and relentless growth, he points to a society of “social bubbles” existing within vastly different socio-economic and cultural conditions. The starkly contrasting life contexts of individuals living in such close proximity not only give rise to widening social divides, mental health struggles, and other pathological phenomena, but also lead to a deeper fragmentation—one in which we are no longer able to agree even on the most fundamental principles of morality. It is precisely this ambivalence in ethical questions that lies at the core of Novak’s series.