Stations of the Cross

Andreas Krufczik

Each year, tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa in Poland. The monastery on the Bright Mount, situated in the middle of the city, is more closely tied to the Polish nation than any other place of pilgrimage. Singing and praying, some of the pilgrims travel over six hundred kilometres, taking weeks to arrive at their destination. The pilgrimage represents the annual climax of religious culture in Poland. In his work, Andreas Krufczik investigates the relationship between belief, religion, and national identity; his images embody the demarcations between these various influences and often contrast the individual with the mass. In these concentrated images, the viewer can detect and begin to understand the various forces at work. Krufczik’s quiet and profound images show us loud, extroverted events that resemble a collective act of self-assurance more than a personal spiritual experience.