Straight lines, clean lines, balanced volumes, materials... modernism, like Art Deco, is first and foremost a matter of aesthetics. There is no such thing as Art Deco spirituality as there is Baroque or even Neo-Gothic spirituality. Yet many convents and churches were built in this vein between the wars, and Saint-Augustin in Brussels is one of the finest examples. Signs of a church in crisis, lacking aesthetic appeal, in search of modernity, or anxious to become part of the contemporary world, these buildings, sometimes underappreciated today, bear witness to a religious vision that heralded the great changes of the Second Vatican Council 50 years ahead of time. A lecture given by Stéphane Colin, art historian, attached to the Royal Museums of Art and History (MIM). Passionate about religious architecture.