Open churches are valuable public spaces that embrace new possibilities while continuing to fulfill their liturgical function. The focus of Kirche Raum Gegenwart is the sustainable transformation of these locations in a way that goes beyond purely architectural intervention. Using four case studies from dioceses in southern Germany, the book and traveling exhibition of the same name provide concrete examples of what these changes might look like. Together with relevant stakeholders from the local communities, artists and architects have taken widely varying approaches to the supplementary uses of church spaces. The designs presented in the volume are complemented by fourteen particularly successful church transformations that have already been implemented in southern Germany. In addition to this, written contributions provide deeper insights into the changes occurring within the two largest Christian denominations and the unique requirements of these increasingly frequent spatial transformations.

The DG Kunstraum Diskurs Gegenwart (German Society for Christian Art) provides a space for people to engage with the issues of our time through the visual arts, as well as through music, science, architecture, theology, and philosophy. It hosts up to five exhibitions annually, with a broad program of events including guided tours, lectures, workshops, readings, artist talks, performances, and other formats. The name DG Kunstraum relates to the societys two central concerns: contemporary issues and the exchange of ideas. All of the societys activities are linked by their engagement with the existential questions people grapple with today. The societys aim is to use art to raise awareness of societal issues requiring attention, promote cultural education, and support discussion and debate.