Rosary of Enlightenment
Zum Himmel offen
A project about people, connection and hope for the future
For more than fifteen years, I have been photographing sacred spaces around the world.
What began as a fascination with their extraordinary architecture gradually became a search for something
beyond architecture itself.
Rosary of Enlightenment invites us to look again at the beauty and history of these places,
but also at the human values they have carried for generations. Churches have long been places not only of
faith, but also of care, learning, comfort and community.
Today, many are losing their traditional function. Rather than simply asking how these buildings can be
preserved, perhaps we should ask what they could become. What if these extraordinary spaces
could find new meaning as places where cultures meet, people care for and learn from one another, and new
communities can grow?
My photographs cannot determine their future. But perhaps they can invite us to imagine it together.
The collection
Looking beyond architecture
Rosary of Enlightenment began with a single encounter.
Every photograph has its own story
Sometimes it begins before sunrise. Sometimes it requires travelling hundreds of kilometres for a single opportunity.
Experienced not only in books or on screen
Each exhibition explores the relationship between image, architecture and the physical space in which the photographs are presented.
A book in the making
Rosary of Enlightenment is currently being developed into a book, bringing together the photographs and stories behind the project.
My name is Dick Schoenmakers
Rather than documenting buildings, I seek to create images that encourage reflection and invite viewers to look beyond architecture itself.
All images in Rosary of Enlightenment originate from photographs made on location. No AI-generated imagery is used in the creation of the works.