The Myth of Normal. Of Competing and Conceding
The group exhibition The Myth of Normal. Of Competing and Conceding puts the spotlight on fundamental questions concerning the relationship between the body and society. Against the backdrop of the UEFA EURO 2024 from June to July 鈥� an athletic event at which high-performance bodies compete 鈥� the show at Kunstverein Hannover presents artistic perspectives on the perception and reception of vulnerability, individual and collective trauma, in an exploration of pain, illness and therapy, healing practices and 鈥� ultimately 鈥� concepts of care and (re)distribution.
Hungarian-Canadian physician and best-selling author Gabor Mat茅 reminds us that social agreements within societies and the construct of the 鈥渘ormal鈥� should be understood as interactions in need of renewal from the bottom up, rather than from the top down.
It is in this sense that contributions to the exhibition explore aspects of inequality and various forms of solidarity, engaging with the complexities of competing and conceding, of ability, skill, and generosity. Using a shift in perspective to expose latent privileges and to show how notions of 鈥渉ealth,鈥� 鈥渋llness,鈥� 鈥渋nclusion,鈥� and 鈥渁ccessibility鈥� are constructed in post-pandemic societies is what art was predestined to do, whether it was produced by people with disabilities or not.
The sister exhibition The Myth of Normal. Chronic Contradictions (May 9鈥擩une 30, 2024) is being shown in Austria as part of a collaboration between Kunstverein Hannover and Salzburger Kunstverein. The two institutions are co-producing a performance program entitled When the Body Says Yes (Or Maybe) as part of the exhibitions.
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The group exhibition The Myth of Normal. Of Competing and Conceding puts the spotlight on fundamental questions concerning the relationship between the body and society. Against the backdrop of the UEFA EURO 2024 from June to July 鈥� an athletic event at which high-performance bodies compete 鈥� the show at Kunstverein Hannover presents artistic perspectives on the perception and reception of vulnerability, individual and collective trauma, in an exploration of pain, illness and therapy, healing practices and 鈥� ultimately 鈥� concepts of care and (re)distribution.
Hungarian-Canadian physician and best-selling author Gabor Mat茅 reminds us that social agreements within societies and the construct of the 鈥渘ormal鈥� should be understood as interactions in need of renewal from the bottom up, rather than from the top down.
It is in this sense that contributions to the exhibition explore aspects of inequality and various forms of solidarity, engaging with the complexities of competing and conceding, of ability, skill, and generosity. Using a shift in perspective to expose latent privileges and to show how notions of 鈥渉ealth,鈥� 鈥渋llness,鈥� 鈥渋nclusion,鈥� and 鈥渁ccessibility鈥� are constructed in post-pandemic societies is what art was predestined to do, whether it was produced by people with disabilities or not.
The sister exhibition The Myth of Normal. Chronic Contradictions (May 9鈥擩une 30, 2024) is being shown in Austria as part of a collaboration between Kunstverein Hannover and Salzburger Kunstverein. The two institutions are co-producing a performance program entitled When the Body Says Yes (Or Maybe) as part of the exhibitions.
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The Myth of Normal. Chronic Contradictions showcases a group exhibition conceptualized in collaboration with Kunstverein Hannover.
The notion of what is 'normal' exerts a pervasive influence on contemporary society.
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