„Everything is interaction. Nothing stands alone, a common bond entwines the whole of organic nature.”
The great naturalist Alexander von Humboldt wrote these lines at the beginning of the 19th century under the impression of his first great journey to America from 1799 to 1804.
During his visit to Lake Valencia in Venezuela, Humboldt recognized that its continuous loss of water was the result of deforestation for plantations. He identified the lack of wood and water, as well as the danger of flooding due to dry soil, as a consequence of human intervention. Even then, Humboldt’s insight into the interactions in nature could be applied far beyond the concept of nature.
The plantations established by the Spanish colonial rulers on Lake Valencia are an expression of the exploitation of nature, but they also point to systemic structures of exploitation, to poverty on the one hand and boundless wealth on the other. To this day, the exploitation of resources means destruction and prosperity, income and labor disputes, food and species extinction, curse and blessing.
Under the title EVERYTHING IS INTERACTION, the art festival Begehungen aims to make the complexity of the issues of resource consumption, species loss and the climate crisis visible. The festival is intended to be an inspiring place for new, forward-looking discourse – a space for encounters, exchange and creative impulses. It is part of the official program of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.
The exhibition brings together 32 international artistic perspectives on the social, ecological and economic consequences of environmental destruction, questions of justice and power and the associated social crises. Dr. Claudia Tittel is the artistic director of the exhibition.
The exhibition is based on the works selected by the artistic director, an artist-in-residence program with European partner institutions of the exhibitions and project ideas from the worldwide Open Call.
The Open Call was reserved for artists under the age of 30, which means that almost a third of the exhibition is dominated by young perspectives.
The exhibition will include installations, photographs, drawings, sculptures as well as video and sound artworks. A good quarter of the artworks will be created specifically for the festival.
Admission to the exhibition and all events is free of charge. Begehungen e.V. is happy to receive donations.
Artists:inside:
Ana Alenso (VE)
Lara Almarcegui (NL/ES)
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) Giuliana Marmo / Belén Arellano Cañizares / Stefan Ralevic (VE/ES/SR)
Tina Bara (DE)
Ursula Biemann & Paulo Tavares (CH/BR)
Böhler & Orendt (DE/RO)
Borek Brindák (SK)
Daniel Canogar (ES/US)
Jan Fabian (CZ)
Abie Franklin & Daniel Hölzl (GB/AT)
Tim Gassauer (DE)
Elza Gubanova (UA)
Sarah Damai Hoogman (NL)
Clemens Hornemann (DE)
Anne Duk Hee Jordan (KR/DE)
Nadia Kaabi-Linke (DE/TN/UA)
Diana Lelonek (PL)
Tea Mäkipää (FI)
Gisle Nataas (NO)
Henrike Naumann (DE)
Olaf Nicolai (DE)
Uriel Orlow (CH)
Johanna M. Reich (DE)
Amparo Sard (ES)
Katharina Sauermann (AT)
Günther & Loredana Selichar (AT/IT)
Hito Steyerl (DE)
Gregor Schneider (DE)
Daniel Otero Torres (CO)
Rikuo Ueda (JP)
Anna Weberberger (AT)
Valeria Zane & Victor Nebbiolo di Castri (IT/FR)
