From 5 November to 28 November 2026, the exhibition ‘Religious Neighbourhoods in Focus’ will be on display at Goethe University’s Westend Campus. The exhibition stems from a workshop organised last year at the Volkshochschule Frankfurt by the research network “Dynamics of Religion” in cooperation with AIWG. The opening will take place on 4 November 2026.

Does the term ‘religious neighbourhood’ describe a district shaped by religious communities? Or does it refer to a theological affinity between different religions? Can these and other layers of the concept ‘religious neighbourhood’ be captured in a photograph? These are questions the exhibition ‘Religious Neighbourhoods in Focus’ explores. The projects shown are the are the outcome of a workshop held at Volkshochschule and in cooperation with researchers from Goethe University. During the workshop, the participants were encouraged to develop their own understanding of ‘religious neighbourhoods’ and to engage with it through photography. Some of the participants later produced the photo series on display in this exhibition. The works reflect the creators’ personal perspectives on religiosity: Some show religious sites as ‘feel-good neighbourhoods’, while other photographs take on a more critical perspective, such as the role of women within different religious communities.

 

Key Facts

Exhibition dates: 5 to 28 November 2026

Opening: Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 5.30 pm

The opening will take place together with the organizers and workshop participants. They will give a guided tour of the exhibition. Welcoming remarks will be by Prof. Dr Bekim Agai, Director of the AIWG, and Prof. Dr Xenia von Tippelskirch, ‘Dynamics of the Religion’.

Concept and organisation: Julius Matuschik and Louise Zbiranski

Venue: in the Rotunda of the IG Farben Building on the Westend Campus of Goethe University Frankfurt

Opening hours: The exhibition is open to the public and free of charge during the IG-Farben Building’s opening hours. Regular opening hours of the IG-Farben Building: Mon–Fri 8.00 am–10.00 pm | Sat 10.00 am–6.00 pm

Contact: L.Zbiranski@em.uni-frankfurt.de

You can download the exhibition flyer here.

 

The exhibition was made possible by the Academy for Islam in Science and Society (AIWG) at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. The AIWG is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

With the support of the LOEWE Centre “Dynamics of Religion” (DynaRel), funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK) as part of the Hessian research funding programme LOEWE.