Period (opening hours):Mon | Tue | Thu: 8 am – 6.30 pm, Wed | Fri: 8 am – 5.30 pm.
Venue:Goethe-Institut München
Rablstraße 24
81669 München
The title alone suggests that something extraordinary is in store: with ‘The Legacy of Humanity’, the Goethe-Institut Munich presents an exhibition that is as powerful as it is multi-layered, unfolding visual worlds that bridge the gap between memory and visions of the future.
On display are striking illustrations and prints that fearlessly bring political, social and taboo subjects to the fore. The exhibition opens up spaces for questions that are pressing, unsettling and fascinating – and makes them visually and sensually tangible.
The stylistic and thematic diversity of these visual worlds is impressive not only because of the exceptional skill of the artists involved, but also due to an unusual printing process: offset lithographs in up to five spot colours lend each exhibit a special depth, luminosity and physical presence.
A central theme of the exhibition is the complex relationship between humans and technology. In their stories, the Chinese science fiction authors Gu Shi and Chi Hui depict fascinating future scenarios: cities rooted in the ocean. Artificial intelligences that write blockbusters. Lives that can be stored, rewound and restarted. The visually striking visions exploring these questions were developed by students at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences and the Academy of Visual Arts, Leipzig.
The exhibition extends far beyond science fiction. It unfolds a panorama of diverse themes and artistic styles: from Ulrike Steinke’s haunting paper cut-outs on ‘Where Are the Birds at Night?’ to various works by Aisha Franz, Katharina Kulenkampff, Felix Bork and Josephin Ritschel. Their images invite viewers on journeys of discovery into unsettling mental constructs, encounters with dubious conspiracy theories, social absurdities and unconventional inventions.
‘The Legacy of Humanity’ is an exhibition for anyone who fancies questioning familiar certainties, embracing new perspectives and, in doing so, experiencing illustrations and prints as a sensory and aesthetic adventure.
