SLOW FUTURE
curated by Jota Castro
Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle
2 Jazdów Street - Warsaw
28 June–14 September 2014
Artists: David Adamo, Bigert & Bergström, Bianca Bondi, Tania Bruguera, Fernando Bryce, Ella de Búrca, Luis Camnitzer, Jota Castro, Joachim Coucke, James Deutsher, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Kendell Geers, Núria Güell, Patrick Hamilton, Cinthia Marcelle, Tiago Mata Machado, Gordon Matta-Clark, Ingrid Wildi Merino, Mariele Neudecker, Wilfredo Prieto, Aleksandra Wasilkowska, David Zink Yi
The theme of the exhibition is degrowth, in other words, a social movement postulating a break with the current paradigm of economic growth in favor of aspiring to improve the quality of life within the capabilities of the environment. The propagators of degrowth, also known as degrowthists, negate the supreme value of material goods and propose alternative models of exchange—barter, cooperatives, co-ownership and community exchange. According to them, assuming that economic growth is essential for development and constitutes a fundamental value to which we should all aspire—is a mistake. Supporters of the degrowth idea believe that unlimited consumption leads to deepening social inequalities, not to mention irreversible environmental damage. Through their own lifestyles, they are trying to oppose the universal pursuit of economic growth and development, which according to them, creates far more social harm than objective benefits. Reducing consumption does not require any sacrifices or a reduction in the quality of one’s life. For instance, it would be sufficient for a large scale use of alternative means and methods, such as recycling, green transport, converting uninhabited buildings into flats, and finally—to engage local organizations in decision-making processes relating to changes in public space. In times of economic crisis, such slogans are valuable and become strong inspirations for artists from all over the world.
The exhibition is a follow-up of the Emergency Pavilion—Rebuilding Utopia (2013) at the Venice Biennale. Its curator, Jota Castro (born in 1965 in Lima, Peru) is a French-Peruvian artist and activist. In his work, he often reveals the mechanisms of contemporary consumption and examines social issues in the context of sustainable development, ecology, as well as alternative models of economic exchange. Slow Future exhibition mostly presents new works from more than 20 artists.
The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalogue containing texts by such authors as Michał Augustyn, Jota Castro, and Claudia Pareja.
Image: David Zink Yi, The Strangers, 2014. Still from two-channel video installation. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth, London, New York, Zurich / Johann Koenig, Berlin / 80M2 Livia Benavides, Lima.
curated by Jota Castro
Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle
2 Jazdów Street - Warsaw
28 June–14 September 2014
Artists: David Adamo, Bigert & Bergström, Bianca Bondi, Tania Bruguera, Fernando Bryce, Ella de Búrca, Luis Camnitzer, Jota Castro, Joachim Coucke, James Deutsher, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Kendell Geers, Núria Güell, Patrick Hamilton, Cinthia Marcelle, Tiago Mata Machado, Gordon Matta-Clark, Ingrid Wildi Merino, Mariele Neudecker, Wilfredo Prieto, Aleksandra Wasilkowska, David Zink Yi
The theme of the exhibition is degrowth, in other words, a social movement postulating a break with the current paradigm of economic growth in favor of aspiring to improve the quality of life within the capabilities of the environment. The propagators of degrowth, also known as degrowthists, negate the supreme value of material goods and propose alternative models of exchange—barter, cooperatives, co-ownership and community exchange. According to them, assuming that economic growth is essential for development and constitutes a fundamental value to which we should all aspire—is a mistake. Supporters of the degrowth idea believe that unlimited consumption leads to deepening social inequalities, not to mention irreversible environmental damage. Through their own lifestyles, they are trying to oppose the universal pursuit of economic growth and development, which according to them, creates far more social harm than objective benefits. Reducing consumption does not require any sacrifices or a reduction in the quality of one’s life. For instance, it would be sufficient for a large scale use of alternative means and methods, such as recycling, green transport, converting uninhabited buildings into flats, and finally—to engage local organizations in decision-making processes relating to changes in public space. In times of economic crisis, such slogans are valuable and become strong inspirations for artists from all over the world.
The exhibition is a follow-up of the Emergency Pavilion—Rebuilding Utopia (2013) at the Venice Biennale. Its curator, Jota Castro (born in 1965 in Lima, Peru) is a French-Peruvian artist and activist. In his work, he often reveals the mechanisms of contemporary consumption and examines social issues in the context of sustainable development, ecology, as well as alternative models of economic exchange. Slow Future exhibition mostly presents new works from more than 20 artists.
The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalogue containing texts by such authors as Michał Augustyn, Jota Castro, and Claudia Pareja.
Image: David Zink Yi, The Strangers, 2014. Still from two-channel video installation. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth, London, New York, Zurich / Johann Koenig, Berlin / 80M2 Livia Benavides, Lima.
