Malo Chapuy's painting *Virgin with Codex* (2025) appears on the cover of Art in America's new talent issue. In an interview from his Paris studio, Chapuy explains how he reinterprets medieval and early Renaissance Flemish painting by mixing its motifs with contemporary and sci-fi elements, such as gothic cathedral spaceships and QR codes designed to function like medieval manuscripts for future postapocalyptic monks. He describes his process as making "forgeries," using traditional techniques like oil on wood panels, homemade lead white, and self-carved frames to mimic aged Old Master works while addressing themes of ecological collapse, apocalyptic anxiety, and planetary exile.
This article matters because it highlights a rising artist who bridges historical art practices with urgent contemporary issues, reflecting a broader trend in the art world of reexamining canonical styles through a modern lens. Chapuy's work, featured on the cover of a major art magazine, signals the growing relevance of medieval and Renaissance visual languages in conversations about climate crisis and societal collapse, and underscores how younger artists are engaging with art history in innovative, materially rigorous ways.