The aim of this project is to explore the phenomena of religious memorabilia, specifically Christian, while looking into the ways it is displayed. The photographs were taken in the Old City of Jerusalem, in souvenir shops, centering around the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the most important sites of Christian pilgrimage.
Modern transportation has created greater accessibility to places and sites of religious significance that were once only at the reach of few. In the past as in the present an important part of being a pilgrim is the act of collecting religious memorabilia. This is done for the dual purpose of constructing ones memories of a trip as well as building a faith narrative.
Mass production of religious memorabilia has created a "super market" of visual faiths, each tagged and priced. Through this presentation faith becomes another product, furthermore, it turns into a mean of communication that carries a political and historical agenda. The consumption of religious paraphernalia might not only construct ones faith and identity, chosen from the shelf of visual ideologies, but also be a part of our knowledge and understanding of history.
Memorabilia is made mainly for the purpose of commemorating an event or a place, yet the type of recollection that a religious souvenir might evoke depends on its design and visual appearance and of course on the consumer's prior knowledge and cultural identity.
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