Global Prayers

Theme Days • 25.02.


11 am - 1 pm Studying Global Prayers 

Short presentations analyze the relationships between religion, the city and the production of knowledge. The subsequent discussions explore innovative methods of researching new religious movements in the city. 


2 - 4 pm - Fundamentalist City

How are city politics and societies transformed by the global rise of radical political-religious movements? Thoughts on questions of government in the “religious city“.

With Nezar AlSayyad (Architect, Urban Designer, Berkeley), AbdouMaliq Simone (Sociologist, London), Werner Schiffauer (Cultural and Social Anthropologist, Berlin, Frankfurt-on-Oder)


3 - 8 pm - Open Studio
The cultural scientist and writer Joseph Vogl invites guests into his studio, where he conducts in-depth interviews with experts, evaluates the experiences of guests and determines new core issues.


4.30 - 10 pm - City as Religious Stage
New religious communities and religious-political organizations use the urban space as a stage: with theatrical productions and parades, they demonstrate their presence, for example in Jakarta, Oberammergau and Mumbai. Paola Yacoub und Filip de Boeck report on emerging media-effective funeral rituals in Beirut and Kinshasa against the background of hushed-up mass graves or informal structures of cemetery management. And films and a discussion look at the Iranian revolution as an example of the links between religion and politics.

With Filip de Boeck (Anthropologist Leuven, Kinshasa), Aryo Danusiri (Documentary Filmmaker, Ethnologist, Jakarta), Roberto Dell´Orco and Jacopo Gallico (Artist, Berlin), Thomas Giefer (Journalist, Filmmaker, Berlin), Hengameh Golestan (Photographer, Tehran, London), George Jose (Sociologist, Mumbai), Sandra Schäfer (Artist, Berlin), Surabhi Sharma (Documentary Filmmaker, Mumbai), Christian Stückl (Director, Oberammergau), Paola Yacoub (Artist, Beirut, Berlin). 

Moderation: Jochen Becker (Curator, Berlin), Stephan Lanz (Urban Researcher, Berlin, Frankfurt-on-Oder)


7 - 8.30 pm - Liberation Theology and the New Evangelical Left

Enrique Dussel and Marcia Pally analyze two different left-wing Christian movements in South and North America. What political infl uence do these movements wield?

With Enrique Dussel (Philosopher, Historian, Theologian, Mexico City), Marcia Pally (Cultural Scientist, Writer, New York, Berlin). Moderator: Anne Huffschmid (Cultural Scientist, Berlin)

 
9 - 11 pm - The Sounds of Global Prayers
Succinct sounds render audible how the various religious movements make their presence felt through noise, music and rhythm in Rio de Janeiro, Lagos, Beirut, Cairo or Berlin and occupy the city as an auditory space. One significant by-product is new impressive musical styles.

With Adé Bantu (Musician, Lagos), Big Daddy Fresh (MC, Kano), Charalambos Ganotis (Musician, Hamburg), Brian Larkin (Anthropologist, New York), Martijn Oosterbaan (Anthropologist, Utrecht), Protek and Special Agent Snypa (MCs, Lagos). 

Moderator: Thomas Burkhalter (Musical Ethnologist, Journalist, Bern)

Enrique Dussel at the Global Prayers Theme Days. Photo: M. Lanz
Open Studio with Joseph Vogl and Paola Yacoub. Photo: M. Lanz
Open Studio with Joseph Vogl and Nezar Al-Sayyad. Photo: M. Lanz
The Sounds of Global Prayers - Protek and Special Agent Snypa from Lagos. Photo: M. Lanz
City as Religious Stage: Christian Stückl, Surabhi Sharma and Jochen Becker. Photo: M. Lanz