The exhibition at the Diocesan Museum of Namur invites visitors to explore the Marian cult from the 16th century to the present day through images and devotional objects that are often modest but rich in meaning. Rather than showcasing masterpieces, it highlights so-called miraculous statues, souvenirs, ex-votos, and handcrafted pieces — sometimes described as kitsch — that bear witness to the protective uses and ritual practices surrounding the Virgin.
Adopting an anthropological approach, the exhibition examines the gestures, rites and places that bring these images to life: their reproduction and circulation, their role as venerated or offered objects, and their capacity to shape communities and territories. The aim is not sovereign aesthetics, but a connection to human experience and its relationship to spirituality, revealed through everyday objects and popular practices.
An exhibition presented by the Treasury of the Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum of Namur.
Rue de Fer 35, Namur, Belgique
