The power of instruction-works of reconnecting protocols
© Julien Gremaud
In everyday life, we are constantly confronted with instructions designed to promote human coexistence or define a framework within which to evolve. Those created for (re)connecting.earth open up a space for discussion on ecological transition and inter-species dialogue. They invite spectators, in theory or in action, to enter into direct interaction with other beings inhabiting the urban environment.
The instruction-works are thematic starting points for workshops, lectures between scientists and the public, walks on urban ecology with an artist-scientist duo, and artistic performances, that take place occasionally during the exhibition as part of an extended program.
Artists' instructions follow a well-known path in art history. Many artists – from members of Fluxus, to Duchamp and Yoko Ono – have used this mode of expression in their artistic practice. In 1919, Marcel Duchamp was unable to attend his sister Suzanne’s wedding in Paris. From Buenos Aires, he sent her a simple instruction: hang a geometry textbook on the balcony and let the wind turn its pages. The work thus existed at a distance, in the gesture, in time, in what came to be.
For (re)connecting.earth , the instruction-works in the indoor exhibition spaces are supplemented by a selection of works by some of the exhibiting artists. They help to contextualise and question the theme of the affective or emotional relationship to flora and fauna. Chosen in reference to each city‘s unique challenges, the themes of each edition of (re)connecting.earth ask questions such as: How does connecting with nature enhance our present and future? What is the nature of our exchanges with other species? Why are some animals and plants more valued than others?
Through this instruction, Gabriel Massan offers an experience of displacement that challenges our habits and our everyday lives. The artist makes the viewer more aware of their own daily routine.
In his work, the artist explores the themes of inequality, displacement and the Latin American experience. Reaching a destination appears to be an uncertain, even unattainable, goal. Yet the act of moving itself becomes essential: continuing to move forward constitutes a form of resistance.
Gabriel Massan, born in 1996 in Rio de Janeiro, lives and works in Berlin. A multidisciplinary artist, he works in the fields of 3D animation, digital sculpture, video games and interactive installations.
Through this instructional artwork, Daniel Hellmann challenges the viewer by inviting them to make a choice that prompts them to reflect on their own food consumption. The visitor thus becomes an active participant in the artistic experience.
Through his character Soya the Cow, the artist explores forms of resistance that involve the body, transformation and performance. By blending art, activism and performance, he addresses issues of environmental, social and identity justice.
Daniel Hellmann, born in 1985 in Switzerland, is a dancer, actor and performance artist. In his work, he offers a critical reinterpretation of models inherited from colonialism and industrial exploitation, by imagining a queer, fluid and unruly nature.
Here, the work prompts reflection on abandoned oil extraction infrastructure. This absence of living beings reinforces the impression of an automated world, where humans appear merely as the distant instigators of processes that are beyond their control.
The artist invites us to reflect on the physical consequences of the energy industry. She explores how to document landscapes that are no longer visible, often linked to the fossil fuel industry.
Tanja Engelberts, born in 1987 in Deventer, the Netherlands, lives and works in The Hague. Immersed in the industrial landscape of the North Sea, sailing alongside maintenance vessels and engaging with offshore workers, she captures the atmosphere of these places through films, prints, sounds and texts.
Olaf Holzapfel’s work offers a poetic reflection on space, structure and cultural boundaries. It invites us to reconsider our relationship with materials, ways of life and the spaces we inhabit.
Olaf Holzapfel, born in 1967 in Dresden, lives and works in Berlin. His work encompasses painting, sculpture, installation, photography and film, bringing traditional craft techniques and natural materials into dialogue with one another.
The instruction-works of (re)connecting protocols do not offer definitive answers, but open up spaces for experimentation and reflection. By inviting everyone to act, observe or simply pay attention, they transform the visitor into a participant in a sensory experience. Through a variety of artistic approaches, they explore how we inhabit the world and coexist with other species. The (re)connecting protocols thus constitute a living laboratory where art becomes a tool for imagining new forms of relationship with living beings and collectively rethinking our ecological future.