Members Get-Together: Being Jain

The rich art and culture of the Indian religion Jainism is currently featured in an exhibition at the Museum Rietberg. Next to lavishly illuminated manuscripts and imposing sculptures, the exhibition explores the approaches of contemporary Jainism to solve the pressing problems the world faces today: Climate change, rampant consumerism, ethnic and religious intolerance, and social inequality. 

How do you personally deal with it when you are encountering intolerance? Have you ever thought about what your ethics are influenced by? And how deeply do you care about the climate? To confront us with how we deal with such questions in our daily lives, the Museum Rietberg has designed “And You? The Game of Questions” based on the well-known game of “Snakes and Ladders”, which originated in India. 

Join us for this Members Get-Together to dive into the fascinating world of Jainism and play a game of "Snakes and Ladders" with your fellow Asia Society Members while getting to know them – and possibly yourself – a little better. 

Program 

• 10:00 – Explore the exhibition on your own 
• 10:45 – Introduction by curator Johannes Beltz 
• 11:00 – Game Time 
• 12:00 – End

We will meet at 10:00 at the entrance of the Museum Rietberg. After the program you are free to stay in the museum a little longer. Your ticket is valid for the whole day.

Johannes Beltz read Theology, Indian Studies, and Religious Studies at the Universities of Halle, Strasbourg, Paris, and Lausanne. On numerous occasions throughout the 1990s, he undertook research in India for his PhD thesis. From 1999 to 2002, he worked at the renowned South Asia Institute of the University of Heidelberg before taking up a post at the Museum Rietberg where he is now curator of the collection of Indian bronzes, sculptures and textiles, and of the South East Asian collection. He has chaired the Museum’s Curatorial Board since 2009, has been in charge of art education since 2015, and was appointed assistant director in 2016. In addition, Johannes Beltz has been regularly lecturing at the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Teacher Education since 2005. 

This event is organized in collaboration with Museum Rietberg.

About Members Get-Together

In our series Members Get-Together, we aim to give our community the chance to engage with each other and exchange views and ideas in an informal setting. Whether it's during a lunch with an expert, while visiting a gallery or just over drinks, the Members Get-Together give you the opportunity to interact with other Asia Society Members and expand your network.