Almost every week, our class finds itself at another museum. Berlin has no shortage, and we have been incredibly lucky to see such a wide array of exhibits through our various courses. One of my favourite, though, was a featured installation titled “Gehorsam” (“Obedience” in English) that consisted of 15 different rooms, each examining a different aspect of Genesis 22. Genesis 22, also known as the “Binding of Isaac”, is the controversial story where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and at the last moment, tells him it was just a test and Abraham sacrifices a ram instead. This story is consistent between Judaism, Islam and Christianity. While it’s been a while since I’ve attended any church services, I have to say, it was one of the most incredible art exhibitions I’ve ever been to. The exhibit uses film projections, installations, religious paraphernalia, and multimedia to explore Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, as well as the controversial links to our present day. It’s an incredible 15 room art piece that questions the importance of obedience, power, ethics and trust in our lives and in relation to the Binding of Isaac.
Two videos of two different rooms: