"We are not the last people in this world" - Art as an ambassador of the future
The exhibition "Tree and Soil" is currently on view in the garage of Kunsthaus Wien. Featuring works by the Dutch artist:inside duo Antoinette de Jong & Robert Knoth, the art on display is situated at the interface of past and future, providing a critical view on the consequences of human interaction with nature. In the context of the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, the works visualize the consequences of profit-oriented energy management and the innate power of natural environments to endure regardless of human intervention. The Future Talk entitled CLIMATE X CHANGE - Climate, Art and Nuclear Power took place on 15th November 2021 as an accompanying event to the exhibition. The participants, Patricia Lorenz, a spokesperson of Global 2000, artist Edgar Honetschläger, and natural scientist Peter Weish, discussed the fundamental question of whether nuclear power can be sustainable and what role art can play between change and science.
© Antoinette de Jong & Robert Knoth
Climate, Collapse, and Art
As a mirror of the anthropogenic age, the landscape of Fukushima is presented in a variety of formats and media. In addition to photographic images of the surrounding landscape, the exhibition also features video installations and interviews. The combination of auditory and visual elements allows visitors to enter Japan's fields, forests and mountains, accompanied by the soothing sounds of water and chirping birds. At the same time, this is a world threatened by destruction and annihilation, even if the possibility of change and transformation looms large. The video works of the forests symbolize an ever-changing nature, which, like the videos themselves, progresses only slowly and insidiously. By drawing on Japanese mythology, the artists refer to an alternative concept of nature beyond a Western-Eurocentric understanding. The spirits Yokaji and Reiju appear as symbolic representatives of untamable and uncontrollable nature. They symbolize the force that can resist the continuous exploitation of natural resources and spaces while acting as mediators between reality and imagination at the same time.
Conceptually, Jong and Knoth's work seeks to address climate, politics, and science through an artistic practice that encourages self-reflection. The exhibition subtly shows how interdisciplinary dialogue can be initiated - always intending to challenge the relationship of power between humankind and nature critically. The artists address the global and collective challenge of counteracting the gradual destruction of nature and simultaneously raise awareness of the imminent danger of nuclear energy production.
The exhibited works are impressive examples of how socio-economic issues can be addressed by and through art. They oscillate between the collapsed, catastrophic past and the hope for a prosperous and thriving future.
The Future Talk organized for this exhibition followed these thematic focal points and offered a multi-perspective approach through its invited speakers. Honetschläger, Lorenz, and Weish argue for a downscaling of lifestyles and an increased individual awareness accordingly. They also advocate a radical restructuring of the technical and economic modes on the one hand and the awakening of an art world which often feels too self-assured on the other. In Weish's sense, we will not be the last inhabitants of this world and consequently also bear responsibility for enabling a future for generations to come because "when the world no longer exists, art will also no longer be necessary."
© Antoinette de Jong & Robert Knoth
From where to where? Between past, present, and future
"Tree and Soil" explores relationships between humankind and nature, between past and future, down to the very core of our existence - a journey through which Antoinette de Jong & Robert Knoth address the impact of nuclear power. The exhibition journeys through different times, reminding us that our environment is not only fragile but indeed the bedrock of our existence. It seems as if the various elements of nature keep the balance between the quiet rustling of change and the alarming danger of human destruction. This supposed balance is unsettled by the exhibition and illustrates the relevance and urgency of the subject matter. With "Tree and Soil," Jong and Knoth create a marvelous interplay of information and inspiration, which does not perceive the past as an isolated and defeated phenomenon, and imagines the future as a transformable and fertile reality.
This exhibition, curated by Iris Sikking, can be viewed free of charge at the Kunsthaus Wien until 13th February 2022. You can also view the exhibition online.
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