LINZ.- The multimedia exhibition Touch Nature is a presentation of international artists who are taking a stand against the devastating political, economic, ecological and humanitarian impact of the Anthropocene. It becomes clear in the process that artists are not only documenting their grievances and formulating resistance but are also designing utopias for a respectful approach to our environment.
The economic exploitation of landscapes, increasing soil sealing and the global repercussions of current consumer behaviour are also addressed, as are world nutrition, the spread of epidemics and the consequences of colonialism. In addition, the investigation encourages a change of perspective. It opens up hopeful visions for a new relationship between mankind and nature.
Touch Nature is based on the series of exhibitions of the same name, which were presented in a total of 12 Austrian cultural forums in Europe and the USA, and in which Austrian artists engaged in a creative dialogue with their counterparts from the host country concerned. The exhibition at the Lentos is a distillation of this series and presents an overview of how the climate crisis and environmental destruction are currently being addressed in art. It is in the spirit of the pioneer of ecological thinking, Alexander von Humboldt, who famously wrote to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1810: “Nature must be felt.”
Artists: Uli Aigner, Iris Andraschek, Peter Bartoš, Matei Bejenaru, Julius von Bismarck, Vanja Bučan, Floriama Candea, Laura Codruța Cernea, Adriana Chiruta, Sevda Chkoutova, Larisa Crunțeanu, Mark Dion, Veronika Dirnhofer, Ines Doujak, Anna Dumitriu/Alex May, Latifah Echakhch, Christian Eisenberger, Titanilla Eisenhart, Michael Endlicher, İnci Eviner, Thomas Feuerstein, Andrea Francolino, Dorothee Frank/Ben Fodor, Birgit Graschopf, Nicola Hackl-Haslinger, Maximilian Haidacher, Jitka Hanzlov, Peter Hauenschild, Beta Hechtov, Edgar Honetschlger, Anas Horn, Alfred Hruschka, Barbara Anna Husar/Elmar Bertsch, Gzde İlkin, Nona Inescu, Fatoş İrwən, Tobias Izs, Maren Jeleff/Klaus Pichler, Sabine Jelinek, Anna Jermolaewa, Anne Duk Hee Jordan, Johanna Kandl, Eginhartz Kanter, Anton Kehrer, Kitty Kino, Aurora Kirly, Alexandra Kontriner, Nina Koželj, David Kranzelbinder, Elena Kristofor, Hans Kupelwieser, Antonio Kutleša, Christiane Lhr, Linda Luse, Haruko Maeda, Pter Mtysi, Claudia Mrzendorfer, Katharina Meister, Ferdinand Melichar, Karina Mendreczky, Sylvie de Meurville, Ana Maria Micu, Claire Morgan, Alois Mosbacher, Yvonne Oswald, Monika Pichler, Margot Pilz, PRINZpod, Luisa Rabbia, Julia Reichmayr, Oliver Ressler, Hubert Roithner, Gregor Sailer, Elisabeth von Samsonow, Davor Sanvincenti, Judith Saupper, Hans Schabus, Scheibe & Gntzel, Ramona Schnekenburger, Gabriele Schne, Martin Schrampf, Claudia Schumann, Marielis Seyler, Milica Simonović, Rebecca Smith, Paul Spendier, Oana Stanciu, Thomas Stimm, Mircea Suciu, Maria Szakats, Adrienn jhzi, Hana Usui, Dan Vezentan, Judith Wagner, Manfred Wakolbinger, Violetta Wakolbinger, Betsy Weis, Nives Widauer, Eva Yurkov, Laurent Ziegler/Georg Blaschke
Curator: Sabine Fellner
Project assistant: Laurenz Fellner
Exhibition design: wienerhalle
Publication: A catalog will be published by the Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz Knig, featuring texts in German and English by Sabine Fellner, Josef Berghold, Franzobel, Eva Horn, Christian Thun-Hohenstein and Hemma Schmutz.
128 pages, € 29. Available from Shop | Museen der Stadt Linz
