The Liszt Institute Brussels opens the autumn cultural season with a group exhibition of contemporary artists from the Visegrad Four. Co-organized with the Ludwig Museum Budapest, the opening of the exhibition ‘Slow Life. Radical Practices of the Everyday’ features several accompanying programs.
The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the environmental impacts and exploitative practices that have led to the current global environmental, economic and social problems. The works displayed present several possible paths to follow, from waste-free household management and voluntary simplicity to the concept of an economy without growth. The other main objective is to provide a broader platform for artistic positions that emphasize sustainability and offer alternative lifestyles.
‘Slow Life. Radical Practices of the Everyday’ is a group exhibition with an international scope, a commitment that reflects on today’s pressing global issues. The current logic of our world, the existing social & economic system and the market-consumer culture have caused serious environmental problems.
The approach they are based upon is in crisis, and current practices cannot provide real solutions to excessive waste production and overconsumption, and to keep the exploitation of natural resources under control. The slow approach represents a need to rethink existing structures and reorganize established practices in the fields of society, economy and everyday life alike.
Its essence can be best expressed by consciousness and a critical attitude, which bring forth more and more possible alternatives, from permaculture farming to zero-waste household, from voluntary simplicity to the concept of a no-growth economy.
The beginnings of the Slow Revolution date back to the 1980s, to the protest against fast-food restaurants, which drew attention to the importance of healthy, quality food from local source. Carlo Petrini’s gastronomic initiative has expanded into a global movement over the decades, spanning many areas from work to travel and from design to media consumption. However, the exhibition does not focus on the ‘slow living’ movements so popular today, some of which limit their activities to offering new products and services for sale.
Rather, it presents alternative practices, everyday “revolutions”, gentle or even radical approaches that challenge the existing growth- and profit-oriented system, show a way out of the consumption spiral, or represent an attitude rooted in the experience of the moment instead of a busy life-style. The broad spectrum of genres on display includes artworks based on critical thinking, while others offer utopic models for future challenges, or encourage us to change our art consumption habits, as well as the clichés of perception and reception in connection with art.
In addition to contemporary Hungarian artists, the exhibition includes works by artists from the Visegrád countries. Instead of the wider international material, previously showcased at the Ludwig Museum, the public can see a modified selection adapted to the exhibition space in Brussels on the Hungarian V4 presidency.
At the opening event on September 22nd, two of the featured artists, Ágnes Eszter Szabó and Syporca Whandal, will present their gastronomic and cultural piracy by their joint work Punk Kitchen Fanzin – Pirate edition, complemented by the musical performance of the Rotterdam based Hungarian artist Károly Tóth. The event includes as well a community embroidery action of Ágnes Szabó, Let’s wear off the embroidery.
The exhibition is presented in cooperation with the Ludwig Museum Budapest and with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Registration for the opening event is required.
- Dates: 22 September until 29 October 2021
- Opening: 22 September 2021 at 7:00 pm
