Art and Trauma Archives

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HOW TO SURVIVE – Art as Survival Strategy | with Carina Plath

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The group exhibition presents a compelling exploration of how art provides resilience in times of personal and societal crisis. The exhibition features works by renowned artists like Gustav Metzger, Shusaku Arakawa, and Alina Szapocznikow, each of whom faced extreme adversity and transformed their experiences into profound artistic statements. Whether addressing environmental destruction, illness, or existential threats, these artists used creativity as a means to survive and challenge the limits of human endurance. The exhibition emphasizes the power of art to propose alternative perspectives when the world seems trapped in binary thinking. By engaging with radical artistic responses to crisis, visitors are invited to reflect on how creativity can offer strength, hope, and new possibilities for navigating the uncertainties of modern life. Art, in this context, becomes more than expression — it becomes a strategy for survival and transformation.

Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart ❏ Actually, the Dead Are Not Dead. Una forma de ser (all episodes), Arts, Arts and Politics, Colonization and the Politics of Representation, Communities and Collective Identities, Culture, Dimensions of Festivity, Documentation and Staging: Reality vs. Representation, History, Music, Philosophy, Society & Politics, Technology, The Sound of Independence: Alternative and Indie Music

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Actually, the Dead Are Not Dead. Una forma de ser | Introduction

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The exhibition explores the interplay between celebration and political expression, rooted in the context of marginalized communities. Drawing inspiration from the Bergen Assembly 2019, this exhibition examines how festivities serve as platforms for social emancipation and self-determination, particularly within the Rom*nja, Flamenco, and Bohemian cultures since the 19th century. By interweaving historical and contemporary works, the exhibition highlights the transformative power of communal gatherings, where joy, rebellion, and artistic innovation converge. The curators, Pedro G. Romero and María García Ruiz, delve into the complexities of identity politics, showcasing how these communities have shaped avant-garde movements while also confronting ongoing societal exclusion. In a time marked by social distancing and isolation, Una forma de ser invites visitors to reflect on the significance of togetherness, creativity, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Kunstpalast Düsseldorf ❏ TIME FOR OUTRAGE! Art in Times of Social Anger (all episodes), Arts, Arts and Politics, Culture, History, Individual and Collective Crises, Philosophy, Society & Politics

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TIME FOR OUTRAGE! Art in Times of Social Anger | Trumpism

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Can anger and rage be justified in a world riddled with oppression and inequality? Are these emotions destructive forces or vital catalysts for social change? As democracy faces crises and populism gains ground globally, these questions have sparked renewed debate. Contemporary artists have responded, using their work to navigate and challenge the pressing issues of our time.

The exhibition ‘Time for Outrage!’ in Düsseldorf explores these questions through six thematic blocks: Right-wing Shift, Trumpism, Protest, Postcolonialism, Feminism, and Discrimination. Across a diverse range of mediums — including installations, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, and video art — 40 international artists immerse viewers in the visceral realms of protest, social dissent, and public anger. The exhibition doesn’t just present anger as a raw emotion; it portrays it as a vehicle for dialogue, resistance, and empowerment in the face of systemic injustice.

A substantial portion of the works on display come from the collection of entrepreneur and collector Florian Peters-Messer, whose commitment to socially engaged art amplifies the urgent messages these pieces convey.

Zilberman Gallery Architecture and Society, Arts, Arts and Politics, Colonization and the Politics of Representation, Culture, Cultures of Remembrance and Perception of Time, History, Horrors of War(s), Society & Politics

18+

When I see the future, I close my eyes: Chapter II

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In When I see the future, I close my eyes: Chapter II, Heba Y. Amin critically explores the intersection of colonialism, technology, and modern warfare, drawing attention to the lingering effects of these forces on contemporary society. Through installations, photography, and reconstructions, Amin revisits historical moments, such as early colonial photography and WWII landmines in Egypt, to highlight how visual and technological tools have been used to exert control and perpetuate violence. The exhibition asks us to reflect on how these past dynamics continue to shape narratives of power and oppression, urging us to confront the neocolonial tendencies of today’s technologies.