The Tribunal of Faith

The last festivals’ Vienna Trials and Congresses of Vienna are followed this year by The Tribunal of Faith. Once again, a theatrical documentary format serves to open the debate on a sociopolitical issue: the role of religions, gods, goddesses and cultic objects in global capitalism. Countless religious symbols have found their way into popular culture. Right-wing nationalist political campaigns (‘Thy will be done’), American tech giants and dictators in Eastern Europe turn doctrines around for their own benefit. That which is supposed to give humans solace, grant dignity to life, is – following Marx – dipped into the ‘icy waters’ of capital (and power), capitalised, stolen, appropriated, abused for belligerent propaganda and value creation.

A jury of experts from cultural studies, religious dignitaries and the faithful question self-proclaimed holy warriors and gods of the arts, museum curators and politicians to reveal their (profanising) practices in three cases. Like in previous formats, centre stage is given to the act of free speech and collective listening: as real as theatre gets!

The Republic of Gods advocates for global communities of faith, keeping a critical eye on itself in the process. What are Christian symbols such as crucifixes and frankincense, indigenous practices like shamanism and spiritual practices like dreadlocks doing in popular culture and on the art market? Where is the line between admissible use and intrusive, neocolonial appropriation by what is essentially a capitalist religion of art and commerce? Why do we find formerly religious objects like Egyptian mummies, Benin bronzes and Aztek headdresses in European museums? What happens to our gods and goddesses when Putin, Trump and radical Islamist regimes appropriate words from the Bible and the Qur’an to legitimise their own rule?

On the back of three cases – one case of artistic appropriation, one case of institutional appropriation and one case of political appropriation or even abuse of religious practices, symbols and tenets – the critical spotlight will shine not least on the Republic of Gods itself.