• project area A6: seven-branched Candelabra in Churches: Semantics – contexts – Practices

The research project is an exemplary study of seven-branched candelabra, which can be understood as figures of aesthetic reflection in various ways. It aims to explore autological und heterological aspects, i.e. materiality, design and iconography on one hand, as well as liturgical functions and spatial and sociocultural contexts on the other. For example, the candelabrum in Essen is documented to have served as a funerary chandelier, while the Trivulzio candelabrum in Milan is known for its rich iconographic and iconological program. Meanwhile, the candelabrum in Magdeburg serves as a point of reference for a spatial-programmatic analysis, as it is the only object still placed in its original location. These and other case studies will illustrate the complex interaction and dynamic entanglement of design, meaning, space and actions of the seven-branched candelabra, thus revealing the dimensions of a ‘different‘ aesthetics.