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Unlocking Christian Art
In einer Zeit, in der die Sammlung und Interpretation historischer Kunstwerke zunehmend zum Gegenstand öffentlicher Diskussionen und Debatten wird, stehen Universitäten und Museen mehr denn je vor großen Herausforderungen.
Donatello, Madonna und Kind (Die Pazzi Madonna), Detail, ca. 1420
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst / Antje Voigt
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At a time when the collection and interpretation of historical works of art are increasingly becoming the subject of public discussion and debate, universities and museums face major challenges more than ever before. This is particularly true when it comes to dealing with works that deal with Christian themes. Whilst some of these works are associated with the most illustrious names in art history, an increasingly secular and non-Christian audience often finds it quite difficult to engage with their subject matter. Contemporary art viewers are often no longer familiar with the stories of the saints depicted, the specific contexts for which these works were created, or the artistic means of expression and techniques employed. Consequently, it is not uncommon for these artworks to seem strangely unapproachable and difficult to understand.
In light of this situation, the Bode Museum (Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art) and the Gemäldegalerie of the Berlin State Museums have embarked on an interdisciplinary collaboration with ‘The Visual Commentary on Scripture’, a project based at King’s College London. Together, they have explored innovative ways of making Berlin’s rich collections of Christian art accessible, combining art-historical and theological perspectives whilst seeking dialogue with Islamic and Jewish religious traditions. The first results of this ongoing collaboration are now available in the form of two short film series, which aim to make these collections (re)accessible to today’s audiences.
A series of 25 films is organised under the overarching theme ‘Keys to Christian Art’. This series offers two guided tours through the permanent collections of the Bode Museum and the Gemäldegalerie, depicting the lives of the two central figures of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ and his mother Mary. Information on these tours is available both within the collections and online.
Museum visitors can identify the exhibits featured in the tour using special signs bearing QR codes. These codes provide access to short videos featuring explanations of the objects by the experts Prof. Dr Ben Quash (Christian theologian) and Dr Jennifer Sliwka (art historian), both from King’s College London. The films trace the key events in the life of each figure and discuss how these have been depicted over time by artists from various traditions. The videos explain key art-historical and religious concepts and highlight important theological debates, as well as critical social, economic or political events that have played a role in the visual representation of these saints’ stories.
A second series is entitled ‘Interfaith Dialogues’. In the two films released so far, a specific work of art from the Bode Museum serves as the starting point for a dialogue between representatives of the three major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). In these films, Prof. Dr Ben Quash, Prof. Dr Mira Sievers (Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology at Humboldt University of Berlin) and Rabbi Gesa Shira Ederberg (Jewish Community of Berlin) discuss the different perspectives of their respective religious traditions on the figures of Abraham and Eve. The videos are also made available via QR codes on site and online for a global audience.
To ensure the widest possible accessibility, the discussions, which are conducted in English, have been provided with German and Turkish subtitles.
‘The Visual Commentary on Scripture’ is a freely accessible online project that presents theological commentaries on the Bible in dialogue with works of art. It enables users to (re)discover the Bible through an instructive interplay of artworks, biblical texts and specially commissioned commentaries:
Translated with DeepL
In light of this situation, the Bode Museum (Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art) and the Gemäldegalerie of the Berlin State Museums have embarked on an interdisciplinary collaboration with ‘The Visual Commentary on Scripture’, a project based at King’s College London. Together, they have explored innovative ways of making Berlin’s rich collections of Christian art accessible, combining art-historical and theological perspectives whilst seeking dialogue with Islamic and Jewish religious traditions. The first results of this ongoing collaboration are now available in the form of two short film series, which aim to make these collections (re)accessible to today’s audiences.
A series of 25 films is organised under the overarching theme ‘Keys to Christian Art’. This series offers two guided tours through the permanent collections of the Bode Museum and the Gemäldegalerie, depicting the lives of the two central figures of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ and his mother Mary. Information on these tours is available both within the collections and online.
Museum visitors can identify the exhibits featured in the tour using special signs bearing QR codes. These codes provide access to short videos featuring explanations of the objects by the experts Prof. Dr Ben Quash (Christian theologian) and Dr Jennifer Sliwka (art historian), both from King’s College London. The films trace the key events in the life of each figure and discuss how these have been depicted over time by artists from various traditions. The videos explain key art-historical and religious concepts and highlight important theological debates, as well as critical social, economic or political events that have played a role in the visual representation of these saints’ stories.
A second series is entitled ‘Interfaith Dialogues’. In the two films released so far, a specific work of art from the Bode Museum serves as the starting point for a dialogue between representatives of the three major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). In these films, Prof. Dr Ben Quash, Prof. Dr Mira Sievers (Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology at Humboldt University of Berlin) and Rabbi Gesa Shira Ederberg (Jewish Community of Berlin) discuss the different perspectives of their respective religious traditions on the figures of Abraham and Eve. The videos are also made available via QR codes on site and online for a global audience.
To ensure the widest possible accessibility, the discussions, which are conducted in English, have been provided with German and Turkish subtitles.
‘The Visual Commentary on Scripture’ is a freely accessible online project that presents theological commentaries on the Bible in dialogue with works of art. It enables users to (re)discover the Bible through an instructive interplay of artworks, biblical texts and specially commissioned commentaries:
Translated with DeepL
Runtime: from April 2023
Price: €10.00
Reduced price: €5.00
Takes place here:
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