The exhibition ‘The Problem of God’ in the K21 Ständehaus in Düsseldorf relates to a fundamental problem of belief: God’s invisibility. It shows how the image-tradition of Christianity as universal cultural and social inheritance has developed further in a secular context.

120 works of art, most of them created in the last 25 years, are brought together in Düsseldorf. It encompasses paintings, drawings, woodcuts, sculptures, collages and objects and also video- and film art, performances and complex space-, light- and sound installations. Internationally renowned artists are part of it, such as Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Francis Alÿs, Berlinde de Bruyckere, Francis Bacon, Janet Cardiff, Tacita Dean, Marlene Dumas, Harun Farocki, Katharina Fritsch, Kris Martin, Hermann Nitsch, Robert Rauschenberg, James Turrell, and Bill Viola. The exhibition varies from fundamental existential questions to humoristic-critically questioning some aspects of religion and belief and current social themes.

An example of a critical approach is an installation of the Chinese-American artist Paul Chan. In a trapezoid of light, shadows of floating objects are visible. At first glance cheerful and playful but then the spectator discovers to his horror people falling down; an awful reminder of the attacks on the Twin Towers.

Read the full article on this exhibition.