Artistic themes of biblical proportions

The exhibition "Obedience" draws from the biblical story of Abraham, who is willing to obey divine command by sacrificing his son Isaac. Renowned curators Saskia Boddeke and Peter Greenaway have prepared the exhibition in such a way that visitors can experience the story from a renewed perspective, linking contemporary themes.

Dutch multimedia artist Saskia Boddeke and British film director Peter Greenaway are the team behind the exhibition. They have created a biblical drama based on the subject of "obedience" using film projections, rare objects, sound effects and a huge installations across 15 showrooms.

Over the centuries, the story of Abraham and his son Isaac has inspired numerous artists. Part of the exhibition at the Jewish Museum features a reproduction of this work created in 1603 by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The famous Italian painter was consumed by biblical themes for much of his life.

In the foyer visitors are met by dancing biblical figures: Abraham, Isaac, an angel and the devil, all on the road to Mount Moriah, where the sacrifice is to take place. The scene is part of a film that runs throughout the exhibition.

Abraham had two sons. The one he was to sacrifice was Isaac. In the view of Saskia Boddeke, however, it is of no importance which one of the two boys was to be killed: "Both symbolize children who have the right to be protected and to live in a world without war," she says. Hence why the centerpiece of the exhibition is the film entitled ''Are you Isaac /Are you Ishmael?."

The divine and the good are commonly associated with the color white. Accordingly, the showroom "God and the Angel" is presented in bright, stunning light. On display here are objects by contemporary artists, such as "The Wings" by Xooang Choi (2008) - heavenly angel wings constructed by human hands.

From heaven, the visitors are led directly into hell. The grim-looking room is dominated by an interpretation of Satan. In the Jewish and Islamic tradition, he was the one who put Abraham to the test. Pebbles on the floor are reminiscent of a ritual that takes place during the "Hajj," the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, in which Satan is symbolically stoned three times.

The three Abrahamic religions view the sacrifice story from their own distinctive perspectives. In the Jewish room, people are to remember the martyrs who took their own lives in order to escape forced Christian baptism or the Islamic sword. Precious objects like this Torah crown testify to the great importance attached to written traditions in Judaism.

Neither the Bible nor the Koran tell us how Abraham's wives Sarah and Hagar reacted to the command of God. An installation with dripping water alludes to the weeping of the two mothers, but also to the spring in the desert that saved Hagar and Ishmael from dying of thirst.

There is, of course, a good ending to the Bible story, as Abraham sacrifices not his son, but a ram. This work by British artist Damien Hirst shows the animal, encased by glass. Its golden horns form a vivid contrast to its black coat.

The Lamb of God is the symbol of Jesus Christ, who died as a sacrificial lamb on the cross. When visitors enter a room lined with lambswool, the 17th century painting of Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán is brought to life by means of a video projection. The exhibition "Obedience" in the Jewish Museum Berlin runs until September 13.