WELL BEINGS

In the exhibition “Well Beings” at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G), artist, architect and designer Valentina Karga (b. 1986 in Chalkidiki, Greece) deals with the fears triggered by ecological crises. Based on her own experience with such anxieties, she has developed an interactive installation that invites visitors to try out various exhibits inspired by popular self-care objects. These include hug pillows and weighted blankets as well as oversized plush toys that are blown-up versions of small figurines from the museum’s Antiquities Collection. In these days of climate crises, more and more people are affected by eco-anxiety – the chronic fear of environmental collapse. This anxiety disorder can lead to nervousness, sleep disturbances, sensations of suffocation and even depression. Somatic psychotherapy techniques that regulate the nervous system have been shown to have positive effects on such symptoms. Drawing upon personal experience, Karga invites others to experience the immersive self-care environment she has designed. Her design language focuses on human beings as the main cause of climate change and species extinction. In order to give ourselves a new chance, Karga argues, we need to look back to ancient models that can help us to renegotiate our relationship to other forms of life and to the earth as habitat. The artist delved into the MK&G’s Antiquities Collection to find prehistoric figurines, dating from 2000 to 600 BCE as basis for her work. By interpreting the qualities of these idols as symbols of a non-human world, she tries to open up a new perspective on our image of humanity: One that will cultivate loving responses to our predicament of the climate crisis, in order to reduce anxiety, trauma and, therefore, harm. Valentina Karga also deals with the topic of eco-anxiety in the video “Adaptation”, filmed especially for the exhibition, and conceived and produced in collaboration with students from the Hamburg University of Fine Arts (HFBK). Film production: Lukas Grubba and Sarah Pech, choreography: Polyxeni Angelidou, live action role-playing (Larp) design: Nina Runa Essendrop, Costumes: För Künkel, Sound: Junya Fugita