Basel, Switzerland. The exhibition “Forum Res Sacra – Orthodox Art, Scholarship, and Religion in Contemporary Dialogue,” curated by the Iconarium Association, fosters interdenominational and interreligious dialogue through the presentation of valuable sacred objects.
Few people today are aware of the origins and cultural significance of the Orthodox cultural heritage for Western Christianity. Yet its influences continue to shape our daily lives to this day. For example, we refer to particularly well-known and successful individuals as “icons” without knowing where this term comes from. Similarly, we have internalized the idea of images as a gateway to another reality or as a moment of intimacy with the artists. This emotional dimension, too, has its origins in the icon. However, both the commonalities and the differences among the various Christian denominations are severely underrepresented in today’s social and public life.
The exhibition “Forum Res Sacra” and the accompanying series of events—taking place at the Philosophicum Basel from December 10, 2026, through January 9, 2027—create a space that facilitates both quiet encounters and a lively engagement with the power and significance of iconographic works. In this context, the exhibits are understood first and foremost as objects of worship and only secondarily as works of art. In the Middle Ages, icons were created as objects of great spiritual power—as artifacts dedicated to God with properties that fostered spiritual insight. They were integrated into the sacred spatial context, were touched, carried, and actively incorporated into liturgical rites. Michele Bacci, professor of art history at the University of Fribourg, refers to a Christian artifact in this context as a “Res Sacra.”
The exhibits come from the storage collections of various museums in Geneva, Lenzburg, Morges, Chambésy, Basel, St. Gallen, Romont, and Recklinghausen, as well as from Swiss private collections and monastic holdings.
At a time when the Abrahamic religions are in conflict with one another in various parts of the world—and thereby often contribute to growing skepticism toward the sacred—such a cultural-religious project is particularly timely. In the face of increasing social polarization, “Forum Res Sacra” sends a message of understanding and reconciliation. It is precisely the in-depth engagement with sacred art that opens up new perspectives and can help to reinterpret the central messages of the Christian faith in a contemporary way and convey them in an ecumenical spirit.
Program Iconarium
Translation Paula Boslau
Image Sophia, Divine Wisdom, 17th century, Icon Museum Switzerland/Burghalde Museum, Lenzburg
