Along with scientific discoveries and technological revolution, human and definition of humanity nowadays are changing faster and more redically than ever before.
The changes occur both at the material level, by the influence of technology on human bodies and perceptive capabilities, and in the mental dimension, as scientific discoveries show what has not been sufficiently readable so far: the connections of the human body with non-human life forms, such as microbes and viruses. The human form more and more frequently manifests not as an essential unity, but as a symbiotic and hybrid form. The ongoing anthropological discussion is accompanied by a lively ecological debate on the planetary threats that humanity confronts in the Anthropocene era.
This new situation, suggesting a moment of significant change in the perception of human's status, role, future and responsibility, is gaining strong resonance in art.
The National Museum in Szczecin and Bornholms Kunstmuseum have been preparing a partner exhibition and publishing project with the participation of several artists from Poland and Denmark, whose artistic practices take up the topic of redefinition and the future of humanity: emphasizing the increasing fusion of body and consciousness with the latest technologies (Roman Lipski, Amalie Smith, Lea Guldditte Hestelund); displayting the connection of man with nature and non-human life forms (Artur Malewski, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Emil Westman Hertz), focusing on the new ethical and existential dimension of humanity, facing rapidly changing world (Izabella Gustowska, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Peter Frimand, SUPERFLEX).
The aim of the LIVING IN THE PRESENT FUTURE exhibition is to recognize one of the most current and hottest fields of reflection within contemporary humanities using the tools that are specific to art.
The LIVING IN THE PRESENT FUTURE exhibition is accompanied by a Polish-Danish-English publication, prepared by Polish and Danish curators in cooperation with invited researchers – Izabela Kowalczyk (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) and Jacob Wamberg (Aarhus University).
Bornholms Kunstmuseum: October 6th 2019– January 5th 2020
The National Museum in Szczecin – The Museum of Contemporary Art: January 23rd – May 3rd 2020
Artists: Izabella Gustowska, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Roman Lipski, Artur Malewski, Lea Guldditte Hestelund, Emil Westman Hertz, Peter Frimand, SUPERFLEX, Amalie Smith
Curators: Marlena Chybowska-Butler, Magdalena Lewoc (The Natrional Museum in Szczecin), Mathilde Renberg (Bornholms Kunstmuseum)