Exhibition Ecstasy & Orewoet

How far are you willing to go in your search for the ultimate experience? Do you dare to completely detach from reality and step outside of yourself? The pursuit of ecstasy has a long history and appears in many cultures, including within the Catholic tradition.

'Ecstasy & Orewoet' reveals new perspectives on ecstasy through the confrontation of religious heritage and contemporary art.

When: Saturday 10 May till Sunday 9 November 2025
Where: Museum PARCUM

Whereas ecstasy used to take place within religious rituals, today this experience is sought in countless other ways. Within the mystical experience, there were strict frameworks, with the ultimate goal of complete union with God. Today, people seek ecstasy on their own terms, regardless of dogma or institutions. Art, music, sports, meditation and psychedelics offer new ways to escape everyday life. Philosopher Charles Taylor even speaks of a ‘spiritual supernova’; the contemporary world is experiencing an explosion of new spiritual and transcendent possibilities.

Orewoet

The exhibition takes you back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The heyday of the mystical tradition. With growing urbanisation and the rise of various monastic communities and beguinages, the mystical tradition flourished in literary culture, vernacular theology and devotional practice. Driven by charismatic figures such as Lutgardis of Tongeren, Christina the Wonderful and Hadewijch, the ecstatic experience is deepened and pondered. In this multiplicity of voices in a rich mystical language, a new term appears: orewoet. Like a raging passion in longing for God.

Ecstasy

But how does this search for the ‘unio mystica’ relate to our contemporary way of living? Are there similarities or are they just miles apart? In a world dominated by reason, rules and expectations, the human yearning for ecstasy remains strong. Ecstasy offers an escape from the ‘I’ and creates moments of deep connection with others and the universe. In an attempt to capture it, contemporary art can be a guide. Like a window to another world.

‘Ecstasy & Orewoet’ juxtaposes religious art with works by Marina Abramović, Jeremy Shaw, Emma Talbot, Sylvie Fleury, Laure Prouvost, Melanie Bonajo and others.