A photographic series that reimagines Mary Magdalene – the first witness of the resurrection and “Apostle to the Apostles” – as a contemporary symbolic figure, reflecting on the historical erasure and transformation of women within religious narratives.
The photographic series Maria Magdalena revisits one of the most significant female figures of early Christianity. According to the Gospels, Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the resurrection of Christ and was referred to in early Christian tradition as the “Apostle to the Apostles.” Over centuries, however, her role was gradually reduced and reinterpreted within theological and cultural narratives, often portraying her as a repentant sinner rather than a central apostolic figure.
In 2016, Pope Francis symbolically restored her importance by elevating her liturgical commemoration to the level of an apostolic feast, reaffirming her role within the Christian tradition.
Goldyn’s series reflects on this complex history of transformation, reinterpretation and erasure. Through staged photographs that combine religious symbolism, ritual gestures and performative self-representation, the works explore themes of memory, redemption and the visibility of women within spiritual and cultural narratives. Rather than reconstructing a historical portrait, the series reimagines Mary Magdalene as a contemporary symbolic figure situated between ritual, body and icon.
