CARREFOUR DES POSSIBLES VII: SENSE OF TOUCH

A lump of clay, kneaded by human hands and molded into a cuboid, that is the oldest surviving brick. At 9,000 years old, It still bears witness to the human endeavors to utilize the elements found in nature for their own needs. The trio that has come together for this exhibition to work on creating a multidisciplinary scenario that questions the significance of human intervention in nature and allows us to experience the fragility of our habitat atmospherically. What traces do we leave behind in nature? What is the effect of a touch?

In his installation of unfired bricks, Younes Ben Slimane refers to the industrialization of building material production by interrupting the mechanical production process. In parallel, he presents his film All Come from Dust, which focuses on the ongoing artisanal production of bricks in southern Tunisia. The documentary perspective gradually transforms into a meditation on the transformation of matter.

Ava Binta Giallo’s poetic spatial installation with small, strung-together clay objects on earthen soil can be understood as a spatial survey. The artist addresses the fragility of natural soil as well as, the built environment by questioning, commenting on, and expanding spatial conditions, standard measurements, and architectural decisions.

Verena Schneider’s performative actions in the exhibition highlight the mutual touch between humans and natural materials. She works with her body, making its impressions visible directly in unfired clay. Circus acrobatics and handstand techniques illustrate the discussion about the ecological footprint and handprint.

Carrefour des Possibles is an annual residency and exhibition program established in 2018, in collaboration with La Boîte Tunis. Each time, an artist from Tunis is matched with an artist from Vienna. The newly formed duos are invited to present the philomena+ project statement at Parallel Vienna and at the same time to conceive an exhibition for the space in Heinestraße 40.