In her latest book, philosopher Donna Haraway proclaims the dawn of the “Chthulucene”, a new geologic era that will supercede the Anthropocene with its environmental pollution, the extinction of the species, and climate crisis. While the Anthropocene bears witness to the interference of mankind with the very geological essence of the planet, the Chthulucene represents a world after humanity as we know it. In some ways, the artist Anaïs Senli builds on these premises, which draw on science fiction, contemporary critique and fantastic speculation. In the exhibition The Heavy Air That Surrounds Us, Senli uses microorganisms to question the cycle of life: she chooses deep sea phytoplankton as a metaphor – drifting microorganisms which produce oxygen and yet provide the raw material for crude oil. In her drawings, Senli makes visible what is unrecognizable to the human eye, whilst constructing new utopias from evident correlations between nature, culture and fossil-fuel capitalism. (Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Anaïs Senli, The Heavy Air That Surrounds Us, Exhibition view Galerie im Turm, 2019, photo: Eric Tschernow, Courtesy the artist and Galerie im Turm)
Galerie im Turm, Frankfurter Tor 1, 10243 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map
The Heavy Air That Surrounds Us, Anaïs Senli, running until 12.01.2020
21.11.19, 19–21h, No Matter Functions as a Border: Conversation with Regina de Miguel, María Morata and Anaïs Senli, moderated by Lena Johanna Reisner
@galerie_im_turm