Our survival depends on other humans and the organic world more generally. Solitude in nature does not exist, not even for humans. If some 10,000,000 different microorganisms inhabit our bodies, why do we consider ourselves autonomous and independent individuals? For other animals, it is absurd to imagine themselves without their community of belonging. Think, for example, of moments of rest, for animals, they are always collective moments. It would be too dangerous to experience moments of relief as private parentheses from the rest of the community to which they belong, and it would mean exposing themselves to the clutches of predators.
Even in places that are deputed par excellence to human rest, there are plenty of collective rituals during siesta moments within the domestic walls, from convivial gatherings to symposia. This time, however - following the artist's imagination - we are catapulted to the teatime of a hybrid house. All other living beings sit in the living room (installation Organism 32), conceived by Camilla Alberti, along with the human. Like an unexpected guest, the multi-species interdependence hovers in every piece of furniture. Here the melting creatures incorporate coffee cups, plates, tea sets, vases, and armchairs.
The firm (human) recognizability of these elements increases even more, and the detonating force of the sculptures that become everyday objects explodes in encounters with other species. Can we use the collective potential enshrined in the ritual of the home to imagine alternative worlds where coexistence is respectful and conscious? In the efforts of a hybrid imagination, it is essential to remember that we are never alone and that fragilities exist beside us that can be hurt and, in turn, can harm us. We can begin to develop a perspective of mutual care by recognizing the conflicting nature of our bonds and an awareness of the vulnerability that unites us.
Perhaps, in the hubbub of ever-faster daily routines, moments of reflection lurk in the same magic bubbles of artists.
ARTIST: Camilla Alberti