Page - 39 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/02

SinnRäume. An Exhibition | 39www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/2, 37–51 concept which considered the specific nature of religious objects in their pres- entation. thus, a teaching collection emerged, used for study and research, not a collection that was to be understood as art or a collection of representative cultural objects.5 in so doing, otto concerned himself with the subtleties of ex- hibiting religious objects, the mediation of their contexts, and the diverse prac- tices of religions. developing from this core of primarily south asian and east Asian objects, the Museum of Religions has grown substantially over the last 90 years. Today it holds approximately 9,000 objects from many regions and religions. The special exhibitions of recent years show not only historical objects but also contemporary cultural and everyday things and reflect contemporary museum and religious studies discourses, for example in exhibitions such as Von Derwisch-Mütze bis Mekka-Cola: Vielfalt islamischer Glaubenspraxis (2013) or Es gibt keinen Gott! Kirche und Religion in sowjetischen Plakaten (2015/16).6 the exhibition SinnRäume opened in November 2015 and was realized with the sup- port of both the Museum of religions and the department of religious studies at Marburg. It was curated in the tradition of simultaneous reflection of both the representability and the communicability of contemporary religion. the ex- hibition SinnRäume, subtitled Insights into Lived Religiosity in Germany, shows the plurality and individuality of contemporary religious practice in Germany based on a number of case studies. a great variety of religious concepts and practices can be identified, both within as well as outside the large institutional- ized religions that find little to no public resonance. Religious objects, symbols, and practices not only are a part of the public expression of religion, but also are manifested in the private sphere and living spaces. how, then, can a private liv- ing room become a sacred site? and what do prayer beads, for example, mean to their respective owners? at the same time, the study of private living spaces and the narratives of their owners offer access and insight into the reality of everyday life. We argue that this lived religiosity is materialized in how individuals interact with their things and within spaces. the goal of the research and exhibition project was to study and present these forms of belief. the exhibition faced the challenge of communicating academic discursivity – and of doing so in a manner comprehensible to lay visitors. The exhibition theme had to be presented without prejudice and also mediated to the visitor. SinnRäume was to be able to participate in academic discourse while portraying its message clearly. the exhibition topic requires impartiality be retained and conveyed. With the display based on the methods of religious studies, diverse religious styles are presented alongside each other in an equitable fashion. that 5 Bräunlein 2004, 55. 6 Franke/Runge 2013; Runge/Trofimov 2015.