The image of Buddha has also been present in the West for several decades. It can be found in meditation halls, wellness centers and finally also in DIY stores or grocery stores at the Asian fruit stand. Why are this face, this expression and this posture also fascinating for people who are not Buddhists? What is this statue all about?
The small exhibition with a short lecture is dedicated to the different perspectives of Buddha. Is it possible to say what Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became famous as Buddha, looked like? Why is he depicted at all if it was actually only about his teachings? Why are there such different portrayals? And, most topically and critically, is it a case of "cultural appropriation" when such a motif is brought from Asia to Europe?
The exhibition shows very different types of Buddha images. The lecture provides an insight into the religious studies approach to these questions.
