IMAGINE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Group exhibition with: BCAA System, Gabriela BK, Joshua Citarella, Mark Fridvalszki, Seana Gavin, Eva Jaroňová, Nam June Paik, Kinga Kiełczyńska, Diana Lelonek, Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, Milan Ressel, Leon Romanow, Adéla Součková, Maja Smrekar, Superflux, Suzanne Treister, Ondřej Trhoň & Nela Pietrová

June 5–July 30, 2023
Opening: June 5, 2023 6pm

Curators: Jindřich Chalupecký Society curatorial collective (Barbora Ciprová, Veronika Čechová, Tereza Jindrová, Karina Kottová) and Paulina Olszewska

The upcoming group exhibition at Galeria Studio in Warsaw elaborates on the theme of visions of the future of our planet and the humankind on several levels. It involves projects by a number of Czech, Polish and international artists. Rather than the courage to embark on unrestrained utopian plans, today’s visions of our future are accompanied by anxiety and black scenarios. There will inevitably be a future, even if it is one after the extinction of our species. But perhaps there are more promising prospects after all.

The exhibition encompasses two main levels, which will at the same time reflect the spatial layout of Galeria Studio, divided into two floors, one above the other. One part will deal with the concept of returning to tradition and (our) nature, while the other part will focus on techno-optimistic or dystopian ideas of the future, which might be associated with science-fiction.

One part of the exhibition will critically examine the solar punk visions and ideas about the future, linking green living with state-of-the-art technology, science and “progress,” as well as various strategies for survival in a dystopian, even post-human world. The other part will explore various strategies of degrowth, deceleration or sustainable living in harmony with nature.

The exhibition’s narrative will travel through time, but also beyond real time, to explore past and future utopias. The theme of escapism will permeate the exhibition, set in separated geographical locations, dream realms, fictional scenarios and old utopian ideas. But its purpose is not to escape into the unreal. On the contrary, we hope that by combining a number of various artworks and projects, hints of possibility will begin to emerge, from which a way out of today’s situation, that is oppressive on many levels, can slowly be carved. When it seems there is nowhere to run, we can try running into the future – and from there, start to reshape the present.

Aside from contemporary artworks, the exhibition will also feature several historical works from the Galeria Studio Collection, Miejska Galeria BWA in Bydgoszcz, the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery, and private collections.

June 5, 2023
6 pm: lecture by Ondřej Trhoň Solarpunk futures, cottagecore, discontents and post-human poetics, in the foyer of Teatr Studio [in English]
6–9 pm: opening at the gallery

The exhibition is the fourth part of the series Islands: Possibilities of Togetherness presented by the Jindřich Chalupecký Society, and curated by the JCHS collective and Paulina Olszewska, curator at Galeria Studio.

The exhibition is part of the international project Islands of Kinship: A Collective Manual for Sustainable and Inclusive Art Institutions, co-funded by the European Union and Czech Ministry of Culture.

Exhibition partner & co-producer:  Jindřich Chalupecký Society

Exhibition partners: Czech Center in Warsaw, Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center Warsaw