Divine Figures – On the physical representation of the divine
Thematic field of the exhibition "Body. Cult. Religion."
The ideas of deities or superhuman beings are often human-like, but not always. The concrete physical image of the divine makes it easier to access and understand something higher and invisible. However, perceptions of the divine are diverse in every religion and sometimes differ considerably.
In Christianity, God is considered to be unimageable on the one hand and human on the other. In ancient Egypt or Asia, the divine figures can also take the forms of animals or appear as hybrid beings between humans and animals, while in Islam and Judaism the earthly representation of God is usually consistently rejected.
The divine does not only refer to the individual deities in the narrowest sense, but also a multitude of invisible powers that are attributed with superhuman abilities and asked for support. In certain African societies and also in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé, embodiment practices such as possession and dance are used to pay homage to these invisible powers and to liaise with them. There are also certain animals, attributes, symbols or writings that are often associated with the divine.
The different conceptions of the divine provide information about the cultural, spiritual and artistic aspects of each religious practice and are therefore indispensable for the study of these religions.
