Kunsthaus Hamburg presents from creatures to creators

Artists: Saelia Aparicio, Samara Daioub & Zion König, Ed Fornieles, Pakui Hardware, Alfred Kubin, Mary Maggic, Bernard Picart, Tabita Rezaire, Amalia Ulman, Emmanuel Van der Auwera, Steffen Zillig

“im-mortal” – interdisciplinary series of lectures: further information here.

Death has recently come disturbingly close. Inevitably, as a result of the global pandemic, everyone is somehow confronted with mortality. However, it is not only because of the current situation that the desire for a long life has taken on a completely new meaning.

Through the paradigm of science, death is no longer a divine decree, but rather a technical challenge. According to the latest findings of biogerontologists, the life span can already be extremely extended with the help of the right tools. There are, for example, “biohackers” who are researching ways to intervene in the human organism to improve its performance, optimize the body or manipulate the DNA. Transhumanists likewise are increasingly seeking to overcome biological limitations through technological solutions. Inevitably, the question arises whether the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) on a par with humans does not actually mean the end of Homo sapiens.

The exhibition from creatures to creators explores concepts of humanity with regard to our future subsistence. It assembles international artists who, from multiple angles, shed a light on ways of dealing with our human existence, including future conceptions of it, and also dare to conjure visions going beyond the finite, conceiving the superhuman. Spanning installations, sculptures, murals and video works, the exhibition thus combines a wide range of artistic approaches, negotiating complex subject matter such as invisible lines of molecular (bio)power, processes of self-optimization, spiritual healing and the prospect of eternal life.

Curated by Anna Nowak.