THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

Between holiness and self-determination

With DIE BRAUT CHRISTI, GOTT&GILZ are developing a series that confronts religious symbolism, corporeality, and societal conceptions of femininity. At the center is the actress, author, and composer Antje Nikola Mönning, who became known not only for her previous role as a television nun but also for her self-determined approach to nudity and sexuality.

The works play with the tension between religious devotion and physical freedom. Christian symbols intersect with a self-confident female presence. At the same time, familiar meanings of purity, sin, and moral authority are shifted.

The series comprises six analog original works from 2023 and three digital compositions from 2024. In the analog works, photography and acrylic painting combine, while the digital works expand the exploration of religious imagery through new forms of alienation and staging.

DIE BRAUT CHRISTI does not make moral judgments. Rather, the series questions how religious traditions and societal conventions shape our view of the female body – and what happens when a woman consciously resists these labels.

The works were presented in April 2024 at the Z22 gallery in Berlin. At the opening of the exhibition, Antje Nikola Mönning read from her book Nicht normal ist ganz normal.

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST – Work series

Analog Original Works 2023
6 Unique digital prints on aluminum dibond, acrylic
90 × 60 cm

Digital Work in 2024
3 Fine-Art Prints on Photo Paper
90 × 60 cm Number of copies per motif: 3 + 3 AP