PRACTICES OF APPROXIMATION
Sophia Bauer, Pascal Marcel Dreier, Nieves de la Fuente, Verena Friedrich, Thomas Hawranke, Hörner/Antlfinger, Jiha Jeon, Christelle Jornod, Karin Lingnau, Katharina Mönkemöller, Hanna Noh, Erik Sandelin, Sebastian Thewes, Myrto Vratsanou
14–28 July 2019
Opening: 13 July, 7 p.m.

A cooperation of Aneta Rostkowska (director, Temporary Gallery), Mathias Antlfinger, Nieves de la Fuente Gutiérrez, Thomas Hawranke, Ute Hörner (Atelier Transmedialer Raum, KHM), Verena Friedrich and Karin Lingnau (exMedia Lab and experimentelle Informatik, KHM).

The joint exhibition of students, teachers and artists associated with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne presents works that reflect on the relation between the species as a social construct. It attempts to involve and keep in mind perspectives of non-human actors (like animals and plants). At a time when we still can not comprehensively assess the losses and changes that are coming our way, the authors of these artworks attempt to develop practices and rituals of approximation that enable us to engage each other in the here and now. Some of them involve a dedicated attention, close observation and thorough inspection, some can be described as practices of care, some try to assume a perspectivity of an non-human subject. What is common to them is an underlining belief that even if it’s impossible to assume a completely non-human standpoint, it is still worth trying. As in the time of ecological crisis we need to undermine the privileged position of a human subject and get as close to other ‚critters’ of the Earth as possible.

An important aspect of many practices in this exhibition is that they are habitual practices – their authors developed new habits or are asking the viewer to undertake such ones. A habit understood primarily as a practice of the body, something that you do that has a material character (like taking care of a plant) in opposition to thinking schemes. These habits have the capacity of influencing our minds and in this way changing our overall attitude to the world.

The presentation follows the exhibition „Heart of an old crocodile exploding over a small town“ at Temporary Gallery and is related to it in terms of content. In both shows what is explored is our relation to nature and a possible formation of interspecies communities. The exhibition design of the previous show has been only partly dismantled to underline the thematic connection between the two shows.

Programme:
14 July, from 4 until approximately 10 p.m.
Performance and film program me with Sina Seifee, Sin Kabeza Productions, Neozoon, Jessica Rinland, Justyna Górowska, Leszek Golec and Tatiana Czekalska, Kroot Juurak and Alex Bailey and others
with food and drinks

18 Juli, 7 p.m.
Seminar with texts

Admission:
2,50 Euro
free admission for members and during KHM Rundgang (13+14 July)

Funding and support
Kulturamt der Stadt Köln
Deltax Wirtschafts- und Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH
Hotel Chelsea