Soul Shops
Places of Worship in Switzerland
Text by Juraj Lipscher
Soul Shops: Places of Worship in Switzerland
Body Shops is the first part of my long-term project concerned with the spaces and paraphernalia devoted to the care of the human body in Switzerland. In the second part, I have turned my attention to the opposite end of the spectrum of human endeavor. Not unlike my previous work, I started to investigate the spaces, the rooms, and the paraphernalia catering to the human soul.
What is the relation of a room build from bricks and mortar or a symbol made of plastic to the spiritual content it seeks to invoke? Can a material object be imbued with the Spirit? Or is the sole function of the sacred objects to facilitate the awakening or the strengthening of the spirit of Man? These are the core questions I hope my images answer; or, more precisely, these are the core questions I expect my images to pose.
I do not see this work as a comparative study juxtaposing the universes of the different faiths. I see it as a deeper look – a deeper look at the material side of the immaterial.