Material Mutants
Sophia Gatzkan, Julie Hayward

curated by Lisa-Maria Schmidt

With the two artists Sophia Gatzkan and Julie Hayward, the exhibition ‘Material Mutants’ searches for the living in materials and materiality. The artworks on display tell material stories and explore artistic approaches to the cultural and social in materials and their contexts.

The word material can mean many things. We call material the substances with which artefacts (man-made objects), such as works of art, are produced. In an extended form, however, material can also formulate concepts that allow us to question materiality itself.

It is perhaps not so difficult to realise that artefacts, to which we often ascribe characteristic traits by themselves, carry historical, cultural and social meanings. But how do we extend this awareness to materials? What approaches can we strive for to think of the social as not just purely human and material freed from our human perspective? ‘Material Mutants’ aims to create space for such considerations in the KS Room.

Sophia Gatzkan, 2023, Foto: Neue Galerie Graz

Events:

Friday August 2, 5:00 PM
Exhibition opening

Sunday August 11, 1:30 PM
Artist Talk

KS Room

In the KS Room, Karl Karner has been exploring experimental visual as well as performing art since 2013 and shows dynamic positions between performance, painting, photography and sculpture. The program focuses on the connection and juxtaposition of contemporary and cross-media positions that raise questions and playfully address current developments.