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Friday, November 26, 2004
Spiritual face of religions
TWO men and a camera, searching for the spiritual face of religions: Ralf Tooten, photographer, and Bernhard Strathmann, editor of the book that was to be a result of this journey. The objective: to promote an inter-religious exchange. The camera: a Hasselblad. The road taken for this search is thousands of kilometers long, runs across five continents. They travel this road for an entire four years.
The result is unique and fascinating. Photographs, the likes of which have not been found: the "Eyes of Wisdom". A series of about 100 exceptional portrait photographs, evidence of religious personalities who permitted themselves to be photographed not for their own sakes, but for the sake of their message. They would have refused anything else.
The German Cultural Institute mounts its first ever photo exhibit in Mindanao together with the UP Mindanao Cultural Center at the SM Entertainment Plaza. Eyes of Wisdom runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1. at SM City Davao.
These photographs take their viewers with them on a journey: a journey, which leads us to the most varied cultural circles, introduces us to faces and eyes, which reflect wisdom in all of their religious manifestations; a journey which induces us to silent dialogue.
We meet an eight-year-old girl from Katmandu. She is considered a saint in her home country because she is a virgin. In a natural, childlike manner, she plays with a rabbit, just as thousands of other children do. We begin to ask questions, the beginning of a silent dialogue. What will happen to this girl when she has her first menstruation and becomes a woman?
The eyes of a person "clothed with air" are completely different; far remote from any shame, they rest on the world in dignity and with total composure. The eyes of a naked person whom even Indira Gandhi consulted. We meet the Dalai Lama, who says, "The heart of all religions is one." We see wisdom in these eyes, which is based on an extensive knowledge of the world. We see a man who observes each object, each person with complete presence of mind. Eyes which express nothing except devotion, alertness and an unbridled zest for life.
Less prominent spiritual personalities, "simple" believers, also catch our eye. Tooten and Strathmann also found the eyes of wisdom on the street, such as the nun in the slums of Katmandu or the nuns in the Convent of Eternal Adoration.
(November 26, 2004 issue)
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