Empatia / Empathy

Empathy is a spiritual, exploratory journey to the edges of the known world, a sort of unravelling or unfolding of coded messages and secret references. By aiming to reach above and beyond the dualism that governs our thinking, it explores a variety of issues affecting the human mind and society, ecology, and even the as yet uncharted spheres of human existence. Empathy is both an open-ended process and work in progress.

Many of the art projects reflect on the fragility and transient nature of humanity - the transcendental experience of awe in the face of the vastness of space and time and the mystery of existence. In searching for positions of empathy they also deal with a sense of unity, a sense of shared understanding with people of long ago, as well as with a community consciousness among people in contemporary society.

The exhibition also attempts to open up totally new perspectives on the social significance of art by presenting examples of large-scale construction projects, some of which are not necessarily even expected to be completed in their originators' own lifetimes. These concepts alone are catalysts for future change. Many of the artists combine approaches from both art and science.

By asking, "Where are territories of art?", the exhibition also questions the role of an artist in the 21st century, faced with an ever more increasing tendency towards individualism and breathlessness.

The exhibition includes projects by the following artists: Maria Thereza Alves (Brazil / Germany) Robert Barry (USA) Lene Berg (Norway / Sweden) Vija Celmins (USA) Shane Cotton (New Zealand) James Darling (Australia) Veli Granö (Finland) Fabrice Gygi (Switzerland) Timo Heino (Finland) Susan Hiller (Great Britain) Jarno Jokinen & Katja Valanne (Finland) Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle (USA) Hannu Puttonen (Finland) Hugo Simberg (Finland) Nedko Solakov (Bulgaria) George Steinmann (Switzerland) subREAL (Romania / The Netherlands) Imants Tillers (Australia)

The exhibition is curated by Marketta Seppälä, director of FRAME The Finnish Fund for Art Exchange, and Imants Tillers, artist and writer, Australia.

The art projects produced for Pori Art Museum will be documented in a publication to be printed during Autumn 2001.

The exhibition is produced in collaboration with FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange. The Finnish venue is supported by IASPIS, NIFCA Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art and Pro Helvetia.

Pressetext

Empatia / Empathy
Kuratoren: Marketta Seppälä, Imants Tillers

mit Maria Thereza Alves, Robert Barry, Lene Berg, Vija Celmins, Shane Cotton, James Darling, Veli Granö, Fabrice Gygi, Timo Heino, Susan Hiller, Jarno Jokinen & Katja Valanne, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Hannu Puttonen, Hugo Simberg, Nedko Solakov, George Steinmann, subREAL , Imants Tillers